For years, U.S. spy agencies have acknowledged they need a more diverse workforce to help understand increasingly complex threats and interpret foreign cultures.They are making progress toward that goal—except at the top.

Years of studies, recommendations and promises have had limited impact on reshaping the upper echelons of the U.S. intelligence community, comprising 17 civilian and military agencies and offices, according to current and former officials and workforce statistics.

For auto racing fans around the world, the Indianapolis 500 evokes images of cars whizzing around the historic track at speeds north of 230 miles per hour. This century-old event held annually at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is known as the “The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.”

What’s not known by many is the Indianapolis 500 has served as an important testing ground for America’s Intelligence Community and national security apparatus.

WASHINGTON D.C. - Statement by William R. Evanina Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center Office of the Director of National Intelligence “Election Threat Update for the American Public”

On July 24, 2020, I issued a statement to the American public providing an unclassified overview of foreign threats to the 2020 election and offering basic steps to mitigate some of these threats. At that time, I pledged that the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) would continue to update the American public and other key stakeholders on the evolving election threat landscape, while also safeguarding our intelligence sources and methods.

WASHINGTON D.C. - Statement by William R. Evanina Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center Office of the Director of National Intelligence “Election Threat Update for the American Public”

On July 24, 2020, I issued a statement to the American public providing an unclassified overview of foreign threats to the 2020 election and offering basic steps to mitigate some of these threats. At that time, I pledged that the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) would continue to update the American public and other key stakeholders on the evolving election threat landscape, while also safeguarding our intelligence sources and methods.

WASHINGTON D.C. - Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe today issued the following statement upon swearing in Chris Miller as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC):

“I am pleased today to have sworn in Chris Miller as NCTC Director. Chris is a well-respected and experienced counterterrorism leader and the right person for this critical position. His distinguished career, most recently as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations and Combating Terrorism and previously the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism and Transnational Threats at the National Security Council, make him uniquely qualified to lead NCTC."

“Despite being shot in the back, war was the best experience I’ve ever had.”

Those are the words of a 30-year-old man who has spent more than 10 percent of his life in a military hospital recovering from an armor piercing sniper round.

His name is Justin Griffin, a former Sergeant in the United States Army who is a Purple Heart recipient and a current employee at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).

WASHINGTON D.C. - Statement by NCSC Director William Evanina: 100 Days Until Election 2020

Election security remains a top priority for the Intelligence Community and we are committed in our support to DHS and FBI, given their leadership roles in this area. In recent months, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) has been providing robust intelligence-based briefings on election security to the presidential campaigns, political committees, and Congressional audiences.

WASHINGTON D.C. - Intelligence Community Releases Artificial Intelligence Principles and Framework

Today, the Intelligence Community (IC) released the Principles of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Ethics for the Intelligence Community and the related Artificial Intelligence Ethics Framework for the Intelligence Community. These principles and framework, which the director of national intelligence (DNI) recently approved, will guide the IC’s ethical development and use of AI.

Two research programs at the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Agency, commonly known as IARPA, are now undergoing evaluation to see if they may provide solutions to help counter the growing COVID-19 pandemic, IARPA director Catherine Marsh tells SIGNAL Magazine.

The Molecular Analyzer for Efficient Gas-phase Low-power INterrogation (MAEGLIN—pronounced Magellan) program has been developing sensors to detect harmful gaseous chemicals in the air. The goal is to detect weapons of mass destruction or chemical indicators of illicit activity, such as narcotics production. But now, the program is investigating how well its newly developed micro-gas chromatograph might work as a breath sensor to detect signs of acute respiratory distress syndrome, a life-threatening condition associated with COVID-19.

Last month, Women of Color magazine selected La’Naia Jones, the Acting Chief Information Officer (CIO), as a national “2020 Technology All-Star” in recognition of her leadership and impact in the U.S. Intelligence Community. She joins a highly distinguished group of women leaders with diverse backgrounds—from academia, Fortune 500 companies, and other government agencies—who are being honored for their achievements, innovation, and inspiration in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine.