Ira Winkler (US)

Ira Winkler is the Field CISO for CYE Security, former Chief Security Architect at Walmart, and author of You Can Stop Stupid, Security Awareness for Dummies, and Advanced Persistent Security. He is considered one of the world’s most influential security professionals and has been named a “Modern Day James Bond” by the media. He did this by performing espionage simulations, where he physically and technically “broke into” some of the largest companies in the World, investigating crimes against them, and telling them how to cost effectively protect their information and computer infrastructure. He continues to perform these espionage simulations, as well as assisting organisations in developing cost effective security programs.

Ira began his career at the National Security Agency, where he served as an Intelligence and Computer Systems Analyst. He moved onto support other US and overseas government military and intelligence agencies. After leaving government service, Ira went on to serve as President of the Internet Security Advisors Group, Chief Security Strategist at HP Consulting, and Director of Technology of the National Computer Security Association. He was also on the Graduate and Undergraduate faculties of the Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland. Ira was previously elected the International President of the Information Systems Security Association, which has ten thousand members.

Ira won the Hall of Fame award from the Information Systems Security Association, as well as several other prestigious industry awards. CSO Magazine named him a CSO Compass Award winner as The Awareness Crusader, and he was named Top Cybersecurity Leader by Security Magazine.

He is the author of the Advanced Persistent Security, Spies Among Us, and Zen and the Art of Information Security. He has also written Corporate Espionage, which has been described as the bible of the Information Security field, and the bestselling Through the Eyes of the Enemy. Both books address the threats that companies face protecting their information. Ira writes for a variety of online sites, including RSA Conference, Dark Reading and ComputerWorld, and for several other industry publications.

He has also written hundreds of professional and trade articles, and frequently appears on TV on every continent. Ira been featured in magazines and newspapers including Forbes, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Chronicle, Washington Post, Planet Internet, and Business 2.0.