Dr. David Mussington

CISA

Dr. David Mussington serves as the Executive Assistant Director for Infrastructure Security at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) as of February 2021. As Executive Assistant Director, he helps lead CISA’s efforts to secure the nation’s critical infrastructure in coordination with government and the private sector. Key areas of focus include vulnerability and risk assessments; securing soft targets and crowded places; training and exercises; and securing high-risk chemical facilities.

Prior to joining CISA, Dr. Mussington was Professor of the Practice and Director for the Center for Public Policy and Private Enterprise at the School of Public Policy for the University of Maryland. His research and teaching activities focused on cyber-physical system risk management, election cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure security risk management.

In 2010, he was senior adviser for cyber policy in the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), later serving on the Obama administration’s National Security Council staff as Director for surface transportation security policy. In the former role, he led preparation and release of the 2011 Defense Strategy for Operating in Cyberspace, which was DOD’s first enterprise-wide cyber strategy document.

Dr. Mussington has a Doctorate in Political Science from Canada’s Carleton University. He also received a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Arts degree in Economics and Political Science from the University of Toronto. He undertook post-doctoral work at Harvard’s Belfer Center where he was a MacArthur Scholar, and at the U.K.’s International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). Prior to his current role, Scott was detailed from LMI to the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) for eight years as the chief engineer for tactical infrastructure. Scott supported the program management office in planning, designing, constructing, and maintaining Customs and Border Protection’s border security technology and tactical infrastructure. Scott oversaw the engineering planning and design of this multibillion-dollar portfolio and managed the development and maintenance of USBP’s design standards for tactical infrastructure. 

Scott attended Virginia Tech, earning a bachelor’s and master’s in civil engineering. Scott is a registered professional engineer as well as a certified program management professional and project management professional. He serves as the board chairperson for the Washington Homeland Security Roundtable and is a former member of the board of directors for the Homeland Security & Defense Business Council.