Ira Winkler

Ira Winkler, CISSP is President of Secure Mentem. He is considered one of the world’s most influential security professionals, and has been named a “Modern Day James Bond” by the media. Ira is one of the foremost experts in the human elements of cyber security and is known for the extensive espionage and social engineering simulations that he has conducted for Fortune 500 companies globally. He continues to perform these espionage simulations, as well as assisting organizations in developing cost effective security programs. Ira is a noted speaker, media contributor and author of several books most notably Spies Among Us, Corporate Espionage and Zen and the Art of Information Security. He and his work have been featured in a variety of media outlets including CNN, The Wall St Journal, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, Forbes, among other outlets throughout the world.

Winkler began his career at the National Security Agency, where he served as an Intelligence and Computer Systems Analyst. After leaving government service, he 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 has also served on the graduate and undergraduate faculties of the Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland.