Liesyl Franz

Liesyl Franz is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Cyberspace Security in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy.  She coordinates cyber policy issues across a broad range of issues that affect international cyberspace security and oversees the unit’s three offices covering Global Policy, Plans, and Negotiations; International Engagement and Capacity Building; and Threat Management and Coordination.  She was previously the director for the Office of International Engagement and Capacity Building and the Deputy Coordinator for the Bureau’s predecessor Office of the Coordinator for Cyber Issues. Ms. Franz has over 20 years of cyber policy experience in the public and private sectors. In her 10-year tenure at the Department of State, she has served as delegation lead for multiple cyber engagements with bilateral and regional partners and multilateral negotiations including in the UN, the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), as well as regional venues such as the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and the Organization of American States (OAS).  Prior to her current position she led the office’s cyber policy work in the Europe and Eurasian Region and on Internet governance policy, respectively.  Previously, she served as Vice President for Cybersecurity and Global Public Policy at TechAmerica, an industry association representing global high technology companies; Director for Cybersecurity International Affairs and Public Policy in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security; and Director for Global Government Affairs at EDS Corporation. Ms. Franz holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Texas at Austin and an M.A. from the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University.