Matt Cronin '06 takes helm as director of National Cybersecurity, leading U.S. strategy at White House's ONCD

Matt Cronin ’06 has been appointed director of national cybersecurity at the White House’s Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD). Created by a bipartisan Congress in 2021, ONCD advises the president on cybersecurity policy and strategy. Cronin helps lead the nation’s efforts to overcome cybersecurity threats and ensure the United States is a leader in key emerging technologies. He was also awarded a Fulbright Scholarship on Cybersecurity and the Rule of Law. As a Fulbright Scholar, he will teach students abroad and help foreign partners develop cyber resiliency. Cronin joins ONCD on detail assignment from the U.S. Department of Justice, where he serves as the national security and cybercrime coordinator. Prior to these positions, he was an award-winning federal prosecutor who led several high-profile cases, including the prosecution of a Chinese drug trafficking organization that sold a supercharged form of synthetic fentanyl to U.S. citizens via the internet. The 2019 case garnered widespread attention, and Cronin was interviewed on CBS’s “60 Minutes” as part of a larger segment on the opioid crisis. He has also successfully prosecuted some of the most dangerous criminals operating on the dark net. “These cases required developing expertise in cyber investigative techniques, cryptocurrencies, complex financial investigations, international law, and the U.S. sanctions regime,” says Cronin, who has published journal articles on cryptocurrencies, the dark net, and autonomous systems. Cronin, who lives in Washington, D.C., earned his bachelor’s degree in English and psychology at Skidmore and his law degree at University of Michigan Law School. “My studies at Skidmore taught me to think critically and independently,” he says. “I have found that it is important not only to have competency but also creativity when tackling seemingly intractable problems.”