Chad Heitzenrater is a senior information scientist at the RAND Corporation. His work is centered on cyber warfare, signals intelligence, and mission assurance in the context of emerging warfighting concepts. Heitzenrater’s recent research examines the economics of information systems relative to secure software development, government acquisition, and warfighting capacity.
Prior to RAND, Heitzenrater was a principal computer scientist with the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Information Directorate (Rome, NY), where he conducted and led research and development of cyber and signal intelligence technologies. As the Core Technical Competency (CTC) lead for Cyber Science and Technology, Heitzenrater guided the vision and direction of AFRL’s extensive cyber portfolio, working across the DOD, intelligence community, and international partners to coordinate and field capabilities. In prior roles his work contributed to multiple operational capabilities supporting U.S. cyber and intelligence goals.