Alison King knows well that in today’s age, national security and cybersecurity go hand in hand, and her contributions toward shaping and bolstering federal cybersecurity policy have earned her recognition as a Power Player in SC Media’s 2024 Women in IT Security program.
Following more than a decade of federal civil service, including nearly eight years with the U.S. Navy, King now serves as the vice president of government affairs at Forescout, where she continues to partner with Congress and the executive branch to support federal policy, legislative initiatives and strategic partnerships.
“I’m inspired by the opportunity to develop policies that are not only strategic but also executable, giving defenders a crucial operational advantage. Effective cybersecurity policy is foundational to protecting critical infrastructure, ensuring our security, and maintaining a competitive global edge,” King said.
King began her federal civil service at the Department of the Navy, first as a foreign military sales portfolio lead and then as a Standard Missile Program Office technical project manager working with partners in Japan and Korea, before concluding her naval civil service at the Pentagon as a strategic communications and strategy adviser for the Navy’s Resource Sponsor for Expeditionary Warfare. She then went on to become a Department of Defense legislative fellow assigned to Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., and in this role she first met with Forescout for a briefing on the DoD’s Comply-to-Connect program, King said in a past interview.
Her foray into the realm of cyber policy truly came in 2019 when she was selected as strategic communications and legislative affairs director for the Cyberspace Solarium Commission, where she worked with bipartisan groups to develop recommendations to strengthen the nation’s defenses against cyberattacks. More than two dozen of the commission’s recommendations were ultimately adopted in the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), including the creation of the Office of the National Cyber Director, marking a significant impact on national cyber policy and a major milestone in King’s career.
This extensive experience, along with her subsequent role as legislative affairs adviser at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), where she supported the passage of the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022 (CIRCIA), cemented King as a powerful advocate for national security through cybersecurity and a perfect fit to help lead Forescout’s federal government initiatives.
King continues her advocacy for strong cyber policy in both the public and private sectors, recently playing a key role in forming the Operational Technology Cybersecurity Coalition (OTCC), bringing OT leaders together to develop vendor-neutral, interoperable and standards-based cybersecurity policy solutions that will aid in the defense of critical infrastructure, King's colleagues noted. She has also supported the inclusion of space and cloud computing in critical infrastructure, the allocation of more resources to CISA and recent policy actions including National Security Memorandum 22 and Presidential Policy Directive 21.
In addition to her dedication to improving government cyber policy, King is also committed to supporting fellow women in the cybersecurity field, serving as a mentor and participating in The Cyber Guild’s Uniting Women in Cyber (UWIC) event. Colleagues say King’s mentorship goes beyond just lending advice, as she actively works to create platforms for women to showcase their expertise and contribute to important discussions and initiatives.
“Creating pathways for women and other minorities to enter and excel in cybersecurity roles is crucial. Providing leadership training and career development resources helps build both confidence and competence, which are key factors to our success in the industry,” King said.
While King has faced some challenges as a woman navigating a male-dominated field, and establishing herself as a cyber policy leader despite not coming from a traditional technical background, she says the great obstacle she has faced in her career is convincing others to make cybersecurity a top priority.
“One of the most significant challenges has been continuously educating the public, business owners, and government leaders on why the status quo in cyberspace is no longer acceptable. Many people still view cybersecurity as a purely technical issue (an esoteric cost center), rather than a critical enabler that requires thoughtful policy solutions and sustained resources,” King explained.
King hopes to change this mindset and urge leaders across the public and private sectors to recognize that proactive cybersecurity measures are needed to maintain competitiveness and resilience in today’s digital world.
Looking to the future, King plans to continue to work with government policymakers to address current security gaps and emerging threats facing U.S. infrastructure, including through her role as a senior fellow at Auburn University’s McCrary Institute, where she has worked with federal officials from the last five presidential administrations to provide a cybersecurity roadmap for the next administration.
Initiatives King hopes to work with Congress and the executive branch on in the near future include the creation of a cross-agency task force to better coordinate cybersecurity regulations, the enhancement of the role and authority of the Office of the National Cyber Director, the advancement of the nation’s ability to accurately attribute cyberattacks and hold cybercriminals accountable, the development of a comprehensive system to identify and prioritize critical infrastructure assets and an increase in budget and resources for Sector Risk Management Agencies (SRMAs), enabling them to improve digital protections across their respective sectors.
