Dexter Ingram

Bio

Dexter Ingram has spent three decades in national security, working across the military, diplomatic, intelligence, and law enforcement communities to confront some of the most complex threats facing the U.S. and its allies.

He most recently served as Director for Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) at the U.S. Department of State, where his team worked to prevent radicalization across the ideological spectrum, from ISIS and al-Qaeda to white nationalism, antisemitism, anti-Muslim and anti-LGBTQ+ hatred, and anti-immigrant violence. Before that, he was Acting Director of the 89-nation Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, leading the international campaign to disrupt the group's territory, finances, foreign fighter pipelines, and online propaganda. Earlier, as Deputy Director for Preventing WMD Terrorism, he helped establish the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism.

His career also took him into the field and to Capitol Hill. He served as the U.S. Counterterrorism Coordinator at INTERPOL in Lyon, France, deployed to Helmand Province, Afghanistan, and held detail assignments at the FBI and DHS. Following 9/11, he served as a professional staff member on the U.S. House Select Committee on Homeland Security, working on terrorism and science and technology policy.

Ingram began his career as a Naval Flight Officer, supporting the TACAMO airborne nuclear command and control mission aboard the E-6B Mercury.

Today, Ingram writes, speaks, and consults on counterterrorism, online radicalization, AI, and the prevention of violent extremism. He publishes "Dexter Ingram: Declassified," where he hosts conversations with leading practitioners, and contributes to Homeland Security Today and The Cipher Brief. He is the author of The Spy Archive: Hidden Lives, Secret Missions, and the History of Espionage and National Security Careers: The Ultimate Guide to Breaking In.

Education and mentorship run through much of Ingram's work. He is the founder of IN Network, a nonprofit that prepares young people for careers in national security. Ingram also maintains one of the largest private intelligence artifact collections outside government archives and is passionate about sharing it with young audiences to bring history to life. He currently serves on the boards of the International Spy Museum, Homeland Security Today, and Globally.

Research Interests

Education

Select Publications

Books

• "National Security Careers: The Ultimate Guide to Breaking In – Real Stories, Career Paths, and Insider Lessons", 2026
• "The Spy Archive: Hidden Lives, Secret Missions, and the History of Espionage", 2025

Articles

• "The True Crime Community is Radicalizing Kids Online." KevinMD.com, April 2026.
• "The Most Dangerous Extremist Movement in America Has No Ideology." The Cipher Brief, April 2026.
• "Iran's Proxies Are Weaker. That Doesn't Mean We're Safer." Homeland Security Today, March 2026.
• "I've Tracked Terrorist Networks for Decades. I've Never Seen Anything Like 764." The Cipher Brief, January 2026.
• "They're Coming for Our Kids: How Extremists Target Children Online." The Cipher Brief, January 2026.
• "The Prevention Files" (three-part series). Homeland Security Today, September 2025.