Emerson T. Brooking is Director of Strategy and Resident Senior Fellow at the Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) of the Atlantic Council. In this capacity, Brooking oversees the center’s efforts to identify, expose, and disrupt foreign information manipulation. He also leads the DFRLab’s work to foster information resilience around the world. Brooking regularly advises U.S. technology companies and national security entities on issues relating to information security. From 2022 to 2023, he took leave from the DFRLab to serve as Cyber Policy Advisor within the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, where he was an author of the 2023 DoD Cyber Strategy.

Brooking is a widely cited expert in the fields of information conflict, disinformation, and AI policy. He is the coauthor of LikeWar: The Weaponization of Social Media (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018) and has published work in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, and the Atlantic, among others. Brooking is regularly interviewed in print and broadcast media, including appearances on PBS’ “NewsHour” and NPR’s “Fresh Air.” Brooking holds a BA in Political Science and Classical Studies from the University of Pennsylvania. He was previously named to the Forbes “30 Under 30” and is a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations.