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Who am I and why would you want to hear what I have to say?

I’m an intelligence and cybersecurity expert who began his career as a member of the U.S. Army’s Military Intelligence Corps. I’ve served in a number of positions of increasing responsibility in signals intelligence, human intelligence, computer security, information security, information warfare, and computer network operations both on active duty and as a civilian intelligence officer in various intelligence agencies. I managed a worldwide computer network attack warning system, and at the risk of tooting my own horn, I tended to be the analyst-of-first resort for inter-agency projects as well as efforts for the National Intelligence Council, National Security Council, and NATO. Thanks to the timely completion of a specialized graduate degree in the early days of the war on terror, I had a not insignificant role in the creation of the National Media Exploitation Center.

After leaving government service in 2005 I worked in various cybersecurity and intelligence roles in private industry. I co-founded and served in executive roles in multiple start-ups, including Kyrus Tech, Carbon Black, Red Canary, ID Vector, Senrio, and Syndis.

My most recent book is Working in Cybersecurity, an oral history of the people who strive to make cyberspace a safer and more secure place. I was also the editor of and a contributor to Threats in the Age of Obama, a compendium of articles on wide-ranging national and international security issues. It has been a while but I’ve also been interviewed by radio and print media.

I earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Hawaii Pacific University, a master’s degree in computer fraud and forensics from George Washington University. I’ve held the CISSP credential since 1999.