Christopher Burgess

Bio – Christopher

Christopher Burgess (@burgessct) is President and co-founder of Prevendra, LLC, which is focused on safety, security, intelligence and privacy. He is also is also an author, speaker, advisor, consultant and advocate for effective security strategies, be they at the office or at home.

He has deep expertise in intelligence, counterintelligence, competitive intelligence, big data solutions, big data analytics, information security, security, online safety and security, compliance and privacy on a global scale.

He has held leadership and management positions, most recently as Chief Security Officer, President and Chief Operating Officer of a small startup and Senior Security Advisor at a Fortune 50. Prior to joining the private sector in 2005, he was a senior national security executive (30+ years with the USG). In his governmental capacity, he lived and worked in South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Central Europe, and Latin America where he acquired understanding of people, cultures, and societies. Christopher is an industry thought leader, addresses threats to intellectual property, the security aspects of social media, security strategy, security education and awareness and prevention of industrial espionage. He is the co-author of Secrets Stolen, Fortune Lost: Preventing Intellectual Property Theft and Economic Espionage in the 21st Century, and a regular contributor to The Huffington Post. He also focuses on a number of societal issues such as, hunger, slavery, health, as well as how to keep ones family safe online via his personal blogs: BurgessCT and Veritate et Virtute.

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A bit longer version in first person, as I share my life in a few paragraphs:

I most recently served as the Chief Security Officer, President Public Sector and Chief Operating Officer (2011-2013) of a small start-up Atigeo. Prior to such, I served as the Senior Security Advisor to the Chief Security Officer of Cisco, where I focused on intellectual property strategies. I also led the following teams within the Corporate Security Programs Office: Global Threat Analysis providing geopolitical, economic and security analysis to Cisco strategists; Global Investigative Support providing forensic support to the enterprise’s investigatory groups; Global Government Security Office implementation; the US Government Security Office (NISPOM/DCID); and the eLitigation & eDiscovery support (EDRM) efforts within Cisco.

Prior to joining Cisco, I served within the Central Intelligence Agency for more than 30 years. I have lived and worked in South Asia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Central Europe, and Latin America where I acquired a deep understanding of the people, cultures, and business practices of these respective areas. During my government career I had both domestic and foreign assignments, where I served in various positions including Chief of Station. As Chief of Station, I was the personal representative for the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and concurrently for the National Intelligence Director within my geographic area of responsibility. I have been an executive member on numerous regional federal organizations: Joint Terrorism Task Forces, US Attorney Terrorism Task Forces, and Regional Counterintelligence Working Groups. Upon my retirement, the CIA awarded me the Career Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the highest level of career recognition.

I co-authored the book, “Secrets Stolen, Fortunes Lost, Preventing Intellectual Property Theft and Economic Espionage in the 21st Century” (Syngress, March 2008). I contribute on a monthly basis to the Huffington Post beginning with the seminal piece, “A Common Sense Approach to Social Media.” I have contributed to CSO magazine, highlighted by two pieces, “Social Elements of Security Policy and Messaging” and my study “Nation States’ Espionage and Counterespionage, Overview of the 2007 Global Economic Espionage Landscape.”

As an invited speaker I am pleased to address both public and private entities. Some examples include, Mayo/Ragan Social Media Healthcare Summit, Seattle Interactive/Gnomedex; Taia Global’s Suits & Spooks, Washington Technology Industry Association, Cisco Live!; the Interpol Intellectual Property Crime Conference; and numerous times at the NATO Information Assurance Conference. I have appeared on CNBC, Fox Business, Bloomberg and AARP’s Inside E-street. Additionally, numerous corporate intellectual property strategy teams and industry organizations invite me to present on the many threats to intellectual property. My breadth of knowledge and expertise allows me to focus my substantive efforts on security education, awareness, policy, procedure and identification and prevention of industrial espionage.

He is often sited in media, most recently: Voice of America, El Pais (Madrid), Investors Business Daily, Silicon Angle, Venture Beat, Semantic Web, Pando Daily, PC Advisor, E-content Magazine, Puget Sound Business Journal, Information Week, Beckers Hospital Review, Health Data Management, eWeek, SC Magazine, Security News Daily, AARP, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Computer World, Network World, CNN Money, CRN, Search Networking, Computer Weekly, Carnegie Mellon CyLab

Has had his contributions published with: IDG Connect, Lockergnome, For the Record, CSO Magazine, SC Magazine and CIO Magazine.

He was most recently featured in a Forbes piece: Featured in the Forbes piece: What do Former CIA Spies do When They Quit the Spy Game?

Currently I serve on the advisory board of Rune Information Security Corporation; and previously was a member of the Mayo Clinic’s External Social Media Board (2010-2012). I have great passion directed at creating good citizens of our adolescents, and serve on the advisory boards of Love Our Children, USA/Stomp Out Bullying. I hold membership in professional security organizations and am a member of the editorial advisory board of SC Magazine.

This website, BurgessCT, is where I write and share my thoughts on those topics about which I invest my personal time to make a difference – Slavery (Human Trafficking/Sex Trafficking; Hunger; Online Safety)

I welcome the opportunity to discuss collaborative opportunities.

All the very best,

Christopher

Email: Christopher@burgessct.com