Ezra Cohen

Adjunct Fellow

At A Glance:

Ezra A. Cohen is an adjunct fellow at Hudson Institute, focusing on intelligence policy.

Biography

Ezra A. Cohen is an adjunct fellow at Hudson Institute, focusing on intelligence policy.

Prior to joining Hudson Institute, Mr. Cohen was the acting under secretary of defense for intelligence and security and director for defense intelligence at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. In this role, Mr. Cohen served as the principal civilian intelligence advisor to the secretary of defense on all military intelligence related matters, including signals intelligence, human intelligence, sensitive activities, geospatial intelligence, sensitive reconnaissance, counterintelligence, law enforcement, and security. In this role he exercised supervision and control of the Defense Intelligence Enterprise including the National Security Agency, Central Security Service, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the National Reconnaissance Office, and the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency.

Before becoming acting under secretary for intelligence, Mr. Cohen was the acting assistant secretary of defense for special operations and low-intensity conflict (SO/LIC); principal deputy assistance secretary of defense for SO/LIC; deputy assistant secretary of defense for counter-narcotics and global threats. As ASD SO/LIC, Mr. Cohen was responsible for all policy formulation and oversight of Department of Defense counterterrorism, special operations, personnel recovery, hostage rescue, counter-narcotics, detainee affairs, peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance, and stability operations. Further, Mr. Cohen provided administrative oversight and control of all organize, train, and equip activities for United States Special Operations Command.

Mr. Cohen also served on the National Security Council Staff, as the special assistant to the president and senior director for intelligence programs. In this role, he was principally responsible for the implementation of the president’s national security objectives through the vast array of intelligence community capabilities. As senior director, he was the United States Government’s strategic level policy coordinator for all intelligence programs and sensitive activities, including covert action. While at the National Security Council, Mr. Cohen, under his counterintelligence remit, initiated the comprehensive interagency review of Chinese malign activity.

Before joining the National Security Council, Mr. Cohen served at the Department of Defense in a number of international and domestic operational positions.

Mr. Cohen currently serves as the chair of the Public Interest Declassification Board.

In addition to his continued government service, Mr. Cohen works for Oracle Corporation.

Mr. Cohen received a BA in History from the University of Pennsylvania.

31
October 2023
Past Event
Preparing the Department of Defense for Irregular and Special Warfare
Featured Speakers:
Ezra Cohen
Chris Miller
Mark Mitchell
Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict
31
October 2023
Past Event
Preparing the Department of Defense for Irregular and Special Warfare

Hudson Adjunct Fellow Ezra Cohen, who served as ASD SO/LIC, will be joined by two other previous ASD SO/LICs to discuss the next generation of special forces challenges.

Former Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Low-Intensity Conflict
Featured Speakers:
Ezra Cohen
Chris Miller
Mark Mitchell
07
August 2023
Past Event
A Requiem for Dominance: New US Strategies to Deter Aggression
Featured Speakers:
Bryan Clark
Dan Patt
Ezra Cohen
Rear Admiral Mike Studeman (USN)
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07
August 2023
Past Event
A Requiem for Dominance: New US Strategies to Deter Aggression
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Featured Speakers:
Bryan Clark
Dan Patt
Ezra Cohen
Rear Admiral Mike Studeman (USN)
06
December 2022
Past Event
Reforming the Classification System: Challenges, Approaches, and Priorities
Featured Speakers:
Ezra Cohen
Alissa Starzak
David Burns
John Eisenberg
Elizabeth Goitein
Alex Joel
Moderator:
Carter Burwell
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06
December 2022
Past Event
Reforming the Classification System: Challenges, Approaches, and Priorities

Please join Hudson Institute for an event co-sponsored by the ABA and the Federalist Society that will consider how the declassification system should be reformed.

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Featured Speakers:
Ezra Cohen
Alissa Starzak
David Burns
John Eisenberg
Elizabeth Goitein
Alex Joel
Moderator:
Carter Burwell
05
May 2022
Past Event
Virtual Event | NSPM-13 and the Future of Cyber Warfare
Featured Speakers:
Alexei Bulazel
JD Work
Joshua Steinman
Ezra Cohen
U.S. Army Gen. Paul M. Nakasone, commander of U.S. Cyber Command, director of the National Security Agency, and chief of the Central Security Service, hosts the CYBERCOM Academic Engagement Network event on February 10, 2022. (U.S. Cyber Command)
05
May 2022
Past Event
Virtual Event | NSPM-13 and the Future of Cyber Warfare

This event will premiere on this page at 12:00 p.m. EDT, Thursday, May 5. Register for the event here.

U.S. Army Gen. Paul M. Nakasone, commander of U.S. Cyber Command, director of the National Security Agency, and chief of the Central Security Service, hosts the CYBERCOM Academic Engagement Network event on February 10, 2022. (U.S. Cyber Command)
Featured Speakers:
Alexei Bulazel
JD Work
Joshua Steinman
Ezra Cohen
29
October 2021
Past Event
Virtual Event | The End of American Intelligence Dominance?
Featured Speakers:
Ezra Cohen
Bryan Clark
Michael Doran
29
October 2021
Past Event
Virtual Event | The End of American Intelligence Dominance?

Please be advised: This event will premiere on this page at 10:00 a.m. EDT, Friday, October 29. Register for the event here.

Featured Speakers:
Ezra Cohen
Bryan Clark
Michael Doran
21
July 2021
Past Event
Virtual Event | The Future of Industrial Cybersecurity
Featured Speakers:
Joshua Steinman
Ezra Cohen
21
July 2021
Past Event
Virtual Event | The Future of Industrial Cybersecurity

Please be advised: This event will premiere on this page at 12:00 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, July 21. Register for the event here or via the register button

Featured Speakers:
Joshua Steinman
Ezra Cohen