Jake Braun

Braun is a graduate of Troy St. University where he earned an MA in International Relations. He also has a Master’s in Secondary Education from National Louis University in Chicago and a BA in Philosophy from Loyola University of Chicago.

Braun began his career as a journalist reporting for newspapers in Illinois and Taiwan. Braun has worked on political campaigns for Democratic and progressive candidates. He has headed initiatives for the Democratic National Committee (DNC), Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC){{Cite web|url=https://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2017/04/30/democrats-launch-campaign-school-in-philadelphia/|title=Democrats Launch Campaign 'School' In Philadelphia|date=2017-04-30|language=en|access-date=2019-01-10}} and multiple state Democratic Party committees. He was National Deputy Field Director to the 2008 Obama for America Campaign.{{Cite web|url=http://p2008.org/obama/obamaorggen.html|title=Key People-Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) General Election Edition|website=p2008.org|access-date=2019-01-10}} Braun previously oversaw the field program for John Kerry’s 2004 presidential campaign in Michigan and worked in Iowa during the 2004 presidential primary.{{Cite web|url=http://p2004.org/kerry/kerrorgia.html|title=John Kerry-Iowa Campaign Organization|website=p2004.org|access-date=2019-01-10}}

Braun served on the Presidential Transition Team in 2008-2009 for the Obama Administration as Deputy Director for the National Security Agencies Review, which oversaw the agency review process for the State Department, DOD, DHS, CIA, USAID.{{cite web |title=CGA Founding Partner Jake Braun Appointed by President Biden as Senior Advisor at DHS Management – Homeland Security Today |url=https://www.hstoday.us/people-on-the-move/cga-founding-partner-jake-braun-appointed-by-president-biden-as-senior-advisor-at-dhs-management/}} He was appointed White House Liaison to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on January 21, 2009, where he facilitated key DHS public engagements. Prior to his appointment,

Braun focused on cybersecurity issues. He serves in the President’s Circle on the Chicago Council on Global Affairs and as a strategic advisor to the Department of Homeland Security and the Pentagon on cybersecurity. He was the co-founder and CEO of CGA. As of 2018, CGA was advising the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on policy, workforce development and other cybersecurity issues.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cambridgeglobal.com/services/|title=SERVICES|website=Cambridge Global|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-10}} Braun also served as Managing Director of Cambridge Global Capital where he identifies investment opportunities and raises capital for cybersecurity and other start-up companies.{{cite web |title=Cyber Policy Initiative {{!}} The University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy |url=https://harris.uchicago.edu/research-impact/centers-institutes/cyber-policy-initiative |website=harris.uchicago.edu}}

In 2017, following intelligence reports highlighting Russian hacking attempts and interference in the 2016 presidential election, Braun co-founded DEF CON’s Voting Village as an effort to illuminate vulnerabilities in domestic election security.{{Cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2017/07/30/hackers-defcon-conference-exploit-vulnerabilities-voting-machines/523639001/|title=Hackers at DefCon conference exploit vulnerabilities in voting machines|website=USA TODAY|language=en|access-date=2019-01-10}}  The event was renewed in 2018 and 2019 and featured additional components of U.S. election infrastructure including the hacking of mock Secretary of State websites.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cyberscoop.com/def-con-voting-village-2018/|title=DEF CON's Voting Village tests hacker-government collaboration|date=2018-08-11|website=CyberScoop|language=en|access-date=2019-01-10}} In cooperation with DEF CON, Braun has co-authored two works on election infrastructure cyber vulnerabilities, The DEF CON 25{{Cite web|title=DEF CON Report|url=https://defcon.org/images/defcon-25/DEF%20CON%2025%20voting%20village%20report.pdf|access-date=2019-01-10|website=defcon.org}} and 26{{Cite web|title=DEF CON Report 2018|url=https://defcon.org/images/defcon-26/DEF%20CON%2026%20voting%20village%20report.pdf|access-date=2019-01-10|website=defcon.org}} Voting Village Reports.  

On February 13, 2018, in a hearing titled “Defending Our Democracy: Building Partnerships to Protect America’s Elections,” Braun testified before the U.S. House Homeland Committee on his election security work with CPI and DEF CON.{{Cite web|url=https://homeland.house.gov/sites/democrats.homeland.house.gov/files/documents/Testimony-Braun.pdf|title=Braun, Jake. Remarks before U.S. House Homeland Committee.|date=February 13, 2018|access-date=February 19, 2019|archive-date=February 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190220002851/https://homeland.house.gov/sites/democrats.homeland.house.gov/files/documents/Testimony-Braun.pdf|url-status=dead}}

Braun is the Executive Director for the 2018-founded Cyber Policy Initiative (CPI) at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy.{{cite news |title=Harris Public Policy announces first-of-its-kind initiative to inform cyber policy |url=https://news.uchicago.edu/story/harris-public-policy-announces-first-its-kind-initiative-inform-cyber-policy |work=University of Chicago News |language=en}} In August 2020, Braun worked with CPI to launch the Election Cyber Surge initiative, an effort to bridge the cyber workforce gap by connecting election officials to volunteer cybersecurity technologists.{{cite news |title=Election Cyber Surge Launches, Connecting Local Election Administrators with Volunteer Technologists |url=https://harris.uchicago.edu/news-events/news/election-cyber-surge-launches-connecting-local-election-administrators-volunteer |work=The University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy |language=en}} As a lecturer at the Harris School, his courses include "Cyber Security in the Digital Age" and "The Intersection of Cyber Threats and Human Rights."

In February 2021, Braun was appointed as a Senior Advisor to the DHS Management Directorate.{{cite web |title=Jake Braun Appointed As Senior Adviser To DHS Management Directorate - Potomac Officers Club |url=https://potomacofficersclub.com/news/jake-braun-appointed-as-senior-adviser-to-dhs-management-directorate/ |website=potomacofficersclub.com}} His initial focus will be on managing and recruiting cybersecurity professionals.{{cite news |title=Q&A: Senior Lecturer Jake Braun Discusses New Role at US Department of Homeland Security |url=https://harris.uchicago.edu/news-events/news/qa-senior-lecturer-jake-braun-discusses-new-role-us-department-homeland-security |work=The University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy |language=en}}

Braun is the author of a book on the subject of election security entitled Democracy in Danger: How Hackers and Activists Exposed Fatal Flaws in the Election System published by Rowman & Littlefield in 2019,{{cite journal |title=Review of Democracy in Danger |website=www.forewordreviews.com |url=https://www.forewordreviews.com/reviews/democracy-in-danger/ |language=en}} as well as a June 2020 article in the Boston Review entitled "A Perfect Storm of Vulnerabilities Could Determine the 2020 Election."{{cite journal |last1=Braun |first1=Jake |title=A Perfect Storm of Vulnerabilities Could Determine the 2020 Election |journal=Boston Review |date=2020-06-22 |url=http://bostonreview.net/politics-law-justice/jake-braun-perfect-storm-vulnerabilities-could-determine-2020-election |language=en}}

In 2018, Braun was the Gold winner for North American Cybersecurity Educator of the Year and Bronze winner for the North American Cybersecurity Consultant of the Year Awards from Cybersecurity Excellence Awards.{{citation needed|date=May 2021}} Along with the team that wrote the DEF CON Voting Village report, Braun was also Gold winner for the Cybersecurity Project of the Year and finalist for the award for Cybersecurity Team of the Year.{{Cite web|url=https://cybersecurity-excellence-awards.com/candidates/jake-braun|title=Jake Braun|date=2018-01-01|website=Cybersecurity Excellence Awards|language=en-US|access-date=2019-01-10}}

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Burgan, C. (2024, July 8). Acting principal deputy NCD Jake Braun steps down. MeriTalk. https://www.meritalk.com/articles/acting-principal-deputy-ncd-jake-braun-steps-down/

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Category:Living people

Category:1975 births

Category:American chief executives

Category:Loyola University Chicago alumni

Category:National Louis University alumni

Category:Troy University alumni

Category:University of Chicago faculty