William D. Stephens, a member of the Defense Intelligence Senior Executive Service, is the acting Deputy Director of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), with a focus on the Critical Technology Protection mission.

​

In conjunction with the Director of DCSA, Mr. Stephens is responsible for the oversight and management of the government’s largest security organization, focused on securing classified and sensitive information and technology for both the military and the rest of the federal government.

​

DCSA is a strategic asset to the Nation and its allies – continuously ensuring a trusted federal, industrial and affiliated workforce, and enabling industry’s delivery of uncompromised capabilities by leveraging advanced technologies and innovation. The agency uniquely blends critical technology protection, trusted personnel vetting, counterintelligence, and professional education and certification to advance and preserve America's strategic edge.

Mr. Stephens joined the then-Defense Security Service in August 2009, serving as the Director of Counterintelligence.  DCSA Counterintelligence (CI) is responsible for providing counterintelligence support to over 12,500 defense contractor facilities employing more than a million cleared personnel.  DCSA CI identifies the threat posed by foreign intelligence services, their surrogates and other hostile entities and takes appropriate action to protect Department of Defense classified technologies and information resident in the Defense Industrial Base.

​

Prior to joining DSS/DCSA, Mr. Stephens had a distinguished military career, serving in a variety of progressively responsible leadership positions as a special agent and senior field commander with the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) in the Continental United States and the Pacific, Middle East and European Theaters.  He also served in a number of senior CI positions on the Air Staff and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

​

Mr. Stephens retired from the U.S. Air Force in 2009 after completing his tour as the commander of all AFOSI forces in Europe.  He is the recipient of numerous military decorations, including the Defense Superior Service Medal.  He has extensive practical and managerial experience in CI, both in the field as a special agent and military commander, as well as at programmatic levels, having served in a number of CI-related senior positions on the Air Staff and in the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

​

In 2011, Mr. Stephens was named one of the Most Influential People in Security by Security Magazine for his role in protecting the Defense Industrial Base Security.  Each year, Security Magazine honors top security executives who positively affect the security industry, their organization, their colleagues and their peers. 

​

Mr. Stephens received a Bachelor of Science degree from Auburn University and earned Master of Arts degrees from Central Michigan University, Naval Post Graduate School and National Defense University. 

​

Mr. Stephens completed requirements for the National Defense University CAPSTONE General and Flag Officer Course and is a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Program for Senior Managers in Government.