Experience and dedication

Nate Cain, owner

Nearly 30 years in information technology, most of it directly involved in the cybersecurity of our nation's most valuable assets, have taught me that no network or system is free of risk. It is not a matter of if you will be hacked, but when. So the question to ask is: are you defending the right data? It's all about triage.

I've held the CISSP credential, gone through NSA cyber training at the National Cryptologic School, and learned from some of the world's most elite cyber-warriors. Still, no amount of training prepares you for every contingency. Years of defending U.S. military, intelligence and law enforcement systems have shown me the problems, inside and outside an organization, that decide whether a security program succeeds.

Success takes the right technology, skilled defenders, trained people, sound processes, and leaders willing to make the risk decisions and policy changes. It's a tough game of ever-changing technology, personnel, budgets, and yes, even politics.

• U.S. Army: secure communications and encryption systems
• U.S. Navy programs: information assurance in Yokosuka, Japan and at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard
• Marine Corps Cyberspace Command: cyber protection team defending critical infrastructure
• FBI, VA, DEA and NAVSEA programs: lead security architect for enterprise vulnerability management
• Cain & Associates: owner and principal cybersecurity consultant
• MCPOTA: founder of the software side, building privacy-first apps