Omnibus

Captivating audiences by drawing from her experience as a veteran cybercrime fighter and entrepreneur, Theresa Payton is one of the nation’s most respected authorities on cybersecurity. She is a visionary in the digital world, leading the way as an inventor of new security designs, and has an approved US patent in security. She made history as the first female to serve as White House chief information officer and currently helps organizations in both the public and private sectors protect their most valuable resources.  

Before overseeing IT operations as CIO for President George W. Bush and his administration, Payton held executive roles in banking technology for two of the country’s top financial institutions. After serving in the White House, she went on to cofound Dark3, a cybersecurity product company, and Fortalice Solutions, a world-class cybersecurity consulting firm.

Payton has found herself on a number of top lists from Security magazine, Business Insider, and Awards Magazine. In 2020, CISCO Mag recognized Payton as Cybersecurity Crusader of the Year. She’s also been profiled in the book 100 Fascinating Women Fighting Cybercrime and honored as the 2019 Woman Cybersecurity Leader of the Year.

Payton has written multiple industry-leading books on IT strategy and cybersecurity, including Manipulated: Inside the Cyberwar to Hijack Elections and Distort the Truth, which the Guardian included on its list of the Top 10 Books about Cybercrime.

Payton is sought out by media news outlets to explain complex security issues and help viewers understand how to protect their privacy. She has been a frequent guest on The Today Show, Good Morning America, Fox Business, and Fox News and has been featured on CBS News, CNN, NBC News, and MSNBC. She also starred on the reality series Hunted, where real people attempted to drop off the grid while highly trained investigators (including Payton) attempted to catch them.