Regarded as a titan in national security and one of the field’s most innovative minds, Rob Joyce served as one of the National Security Agency’s most influential figures for 34 years — most recently as the head of the organization’s Cybersecurity Directorate. In the later years of his tenure, Joyce was perhaps the most visible figure of the historically reserved agency, and embraced his refreshingly public-facing role as a means of strengthening trust and collaboration between government and industry against cyber threats. From his distinguished NSA career, as well as his service as a White House cyber official and special assistant to the president, he is viewed by his peers as an exemplary leader whose expertise, collaborative approach, and dedication to improving intelligence sharing has been pivotal to safeguarding our organizations and society against the threats in the digital realm.

Exclusively represented by Leading Authorities speakers bureau, Joyce leads an engrossing discussion on everything organizations need to know about the current cyber threat and opportunity landscape, while sharing clear and actionable strategies for how they can enhance their cybersecurity posture and protect their information and operations. As a leader who innovated cyber defense and directly affected national policy, Joyce offers unparalleled expertise on the ever-evolving state of cyber threats, and modern hacking threats and vulnerabilities, as well as the ways in which artificial intelligence could tip the scales in digital security. Joyce is also able to thoughtfully weave in his analysis on international relations and the implications and imperatives they present for global cybersecurity.  

As the Director of the NSA’s Cybersecurity Directorate, Joyce was instrumental in architecting groundbreaking initiatives that fortified national cyber defense and protected vital national assets — including classified networks, weapons platforms, and even the nuclear authorization codes — from malicious actors. He ran strategic operations to neutralize nation-state cyber threats and dismantle ransomware syndicates and, under his guidance, his teams forged deep alliances with the companies that underpin the internet — leading to the proactive identification and mitigation of cyber vulnerabilities and securing the technological backbone upon which we all rely. Joyce’s previous roles in the agency include an assignment as an NSA representative to the UK as a member of the senior staff at the U.S. Embassy in London, as well as chief of its elite hacking organization Tailored Access Operations (TAO). In between his two NSA tenures, he served on the White House National Security Council as a special assistant to the President and cybersecurity coordinator. During this time, he led the development and implementation of national and international cybersecurity and policy for the U.S.

Joyce’s innovation, leadership, and contributions to cybersecurity have been recognized with three President Rank Awards. Additionally, he is a member of the Senior Executive Service. He is a trusted advisor to world governments and global organizations in their efforts to secure their operations and information from digital adversaries, and continues to operate from ground zero in the mission to enhance cyber resilience and protect our national security.

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