Mr. Daniel E. Payne, a member of the Senior Intelligence Service, was appointed by the Secretary of Defense as Director of the Defense Security Service (DSS), on March 21, 2016.

As the Director of DSS, he leads the agency that has the mission to support national security and the warfighter, secure the nation's technological base, and oversee the protection of U.S. and foreign classified information in the hands of industry. DSS accomplishes this mission by clearing industrial facilities, personnel and associated information systems; collecting, analyzing and providing threat information to industry and government partners; managing foreign ownership, control or influence in cleared industry; providing advice and oversight to industry; delivering security education and training; and providing information technology services that support the industrial security mission of DoD and its partner agencies.

Mr. Payne is a career counterintelligence officer with the Central Intelligence Agency who has spent more than 36 years in the field of counterintelligence. Prior to joining DSS, Mr. Payne served as the Deputy Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center. Mr. Payne's previous senior assignments at CIA include Deputy Chief of South Asia Division; Deputy Chief, Counterintelligence Center; Assistant Inspector General for Investigations; Deputy Director, Counterterrorism Center for Counterintelligence; and Deputy Chief, Counterespionage Group.

After his graduation from Ball State University in 1981, Mr. Payne served as a Special Agent for the Defense Investigative Service, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. Mr. Payne joined CIA's Office of Security in 1984, and became involved in counterespionage work beginning in 1985. Mr. Payne was one of the original officers involved in the hunt for a penetration of CIA which morphed into the investigation of Aldrich Ames. Mr. Payne was the lead investigator in the Ames Investigation. Mr. Payne was also involved in numerous other espionage investigations and founded the use of financial forensic techniques as a means to identify spies in the U.S. Government.

Mr. Payne is the recipient of the National Intelligence Superior Service Medal, National Intelligence Medal of Achievement, CIA’s Intelligence Commendation Medal, NCS’s Donovan Award, The George Bush Medal for Excellence in Counterterrorism, and the Intelligence Community Seal Medallion.