Courtney Kum

Courtney Kum is a senior national security and legislative affairs professional with extensive experience across the Department of War, Congress, and industry. In her latest position, she served as senior policy advisor and director of congressional affairs at the Department of Defense Cyber Defense Command, where she led congressional engagement, policy development, and interagency coordination to advance the command’s defensive cyber operations mission. Previously, she supported the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies, advising on emerging technology portfolios, including microelectronics, spectrum policy, AI/ML, 5G/FutureG, and quantum computing. Her earlier roles include providing congressional and legislative expertise to U.S. Navy undersea warfare programs and serving as a national security advisor and military legislative assistant in both the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives, where she shaped defense policy, advanced key priorities, and represented members on major committees and international engagements. Courtney holds master’s degrees in defense and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College and in public policy from Pepperdine University, as well as a B.A. from Trinity College in Holocaust research.