Leading Cybersecurity Keynote Speaker

Bring real-world expertise to your next event.

About
Dr. Eric Cole

America’s Cyber Czar

Dr. Eric Cole is one of the most in-demand cybersecurity keynote speakers in the world—known for his ability to break down complex threats with clarity, energy, and impact. With over 30 years of experience and hundreds of keynotes delivered, he’s helped audiences across industries understand what’s coming and what to do about it.

He’s spoken for leading conferences and organizations, including SecureWorld, Netscout, Xerox, Gartner, the NSA, ISSA, and Keeper Security. From Fortune 100 boardrooms to national security events, Dr. Cole’s keynotes combine real-world expertise with sharp storytelling, giving every audience clear takeaways they can use immediately.

A former CIA hacker and advisor to Fortune 50 companies, Dr. Cole brings unmatched credibility to the stage—but it’s his direct style, fast pace, and practical insights that keep people leaning in. Whether he’s speaking to executives, IT teams, or non-technical leaders, he makes cybersecurity personal, urgent, and impossible to ignore.

WHAT
PEOPLE SAY

TESTIMONIALS

"Grateful for what you do. Hi Dr. Cole,  I wanted to express my deep appreciation for the invaluable information you share in your youtube videos. Your advice is truly inspiring for those who aspire to become world-class CISOs.  Thank you!  Sincerely, Jose Ruiz."

Jose Ruiz CISSP

Cybersecurity Expert

"Thanks for all the free content you make. It's been very helpful in setting realistic expectations for what it's like to be a CISO. Have a good day."

@studiosrp8860

“Dr. Cole, you are making my day . I am doìg the same as you here in East Africa explaining the cybersecurity how is dangerous and must protect themselves. Please keep up so I can get more more studies from you. Thank you Dr. Cole.”

Freddy Ntwari

"Dr. Cole, I have been watching your YouTube channel for a while now, and your advice is pure gold. My ultimate goal is to be a world-class CISO, and I am currently working towards that goal. I also read your book Cyber Crisis, and I didn't realize until then that you got your start at the CIA. You could write a whole book on that experience alone. I want to connect and follow what you're doing; I appreciate the value you bring to the space. Also, your story about the pro golfer who requested a "Club" as his gift from the Saudi Prince was outstanding. I love that story."

Justin Watt

DEA Special Agent

"You went from hacker to a successful cybersecurity company, that's the dream. You are a legend."

@blazinup5871

"Dr. Eric Cole, Cybersecurity Expert, your leadership compass guides the ship, not just patches leaks."

Aayush Jain

Adidas Tech Director

"When I was in the dark in 2023 trying to bridge the gap into the Information Security field, without a job and funds disappearing quickly, I had nowhere to turn for direction or advice. Your videos and Podcasts on striving to be world class kept me going! Your voice, energy and soul through the speaker kept me going on the darkest of days when I wanted to give up! I just want you to know that you have a life long fan, because your voice kept me on track and acted like a compass till I found solid ground, I am still stumbling and figuring things out but at least I hit solid land. I might have given up and drowned or worse (settled for less) if not for your content! Thank you for being a life raft for me and my family in many more ways than I can describe in a comment! Respect!"

@Kkmulltimedia on Youtube

Cybersecurity Keynote Topics

Most of Dr. Cole keynotes are customized for the audience but below are some general topics that Dr. Cole can speak on. However, if you do not see your topic below and it is related to technology, cybersecurity, and peak performance, Dr. Cole can help.

You Are a Target

One of the big problems in cybersecurity is individuals and companies do not believe they are a target. The problem is, they will happen and the probability of you or your organization being compromised is almost a guarantee. Often the smaller the company, the less security, and the easier it is to break in. So organizations that don’t think they are big enough for an adversary to come after them, are often the prime target of attack. Today’s attackers are not stealing a million dollars from one person, they’re stealing $1 from a million people. So those that do not think they are a target, let down their guard, and do not implement proper security, are often the ones that very quickly become victims.

Online Danger

Whether we like it or not, we live the majority of our life in cyberspace. Regardless of the amount of time in cyberspace, we need to recognize that our personal, critical information is stored online in computers. If we do not protect our online information, it will cause detrimental damage to us, our families and our businesses. Whether you realize it or not, you are a target. You are going to be compromised. And only by understanding the threat and taking action, can you be safe in cyberspace today.

Security Metrics

You cannot manage what you cannot measure. A common issue with cybersecurity is doing good things, but not the right things that really matter. Missing one key aspect is all it takes for an adversary to break in. In order to stay ahead of the adversary, it is important that companies have critical security metrics to identify what is and is not working. By having proper metrics integrated into a security dashboard, organizations can make the right decisions to protect and secure their critical assets.

The Myth of Cybersecurity

One of the most dangerous mindsets an organization can have is that they will not be attacked or that compromises do not occur. This is because when you do not think you are a target, you are not going to focus energy and effort in the proper areas of security. Yet the probability of an organization getting compromised is almost a guarantee. An adversary is after any organization that is in business and has critical data that needs to be protected. It is important to learn what the real threats are to an organization and actionable steps you can take to protect and secure your organization to stay ahead of an adversary.

Steps of a Cyber Attack

Many organizations focus on cyber defense, yet they do not really understand how an attack actually works and what the real exposures are to an organization. It is important to learn step by step how an attack actually works and how to use this knowledge to properly protect and secure your organization. When you understand the steps of an attack, how the threat works and what the vulnerabilities are, you can start to focus on fixing the right problems, and properly securing and protecting your organization. The only way to be good at the defense is to understand how the offense operates.

Defending a Compromised Network

Every time you add servers, new applications, or add functionality, you are decreasing your security. Based on common threats and the persistent nature of the adversary, the problem of an organization being compromised is very high. The challenge with implementing effective security is containing, controlling, and minimizing the damage to defend an already compromised network. Too many organizations focus on prevention and nothing else, so if prevention fails, there is not much else in place to minimize the damage. The real approach to security is timely detection. The key is to accept the fact that a compromise will likely occur and when it does, have a plan detect and respond in a timely manner to contain and control the damage.

Cybersecurity Playbook

Having an effective playbook is necessary if you want to win. Unfortunately many organizations fail to have one for cybersecurity. In most organizations, cybersecurity plans tend to be reactive measures in which organizations are not clear on what to do and when to do it. If you want to win in the game of cybersecurity, you need to have an effective playbook with proper plays that allow you to be able to detect, control, and minimize damage. By understanding the offense, what the adversary is going to do, you can create effective defensive plays to implement in order to win at this game of cybersecurity.

Proactive Security

The current model that most organizations use to protect their organization utilizes preventative measures. The problem is today’s adversary is targeted and data-focused. There is no visible sign of an attack. That is why, on average, most organizations are compromised for 27 months before the attack is detected. The model needs to shift from visible detection to proactive analysis within your organization. Taking a proactive approach, where you are actively looking for the adversary, realizing you are already compromised, is the best way that an organization will win and stay one step ahead of the adversary. Today, it’s not a matter of preventing all attacks, but true security is focused on containing and controlling the damage through timely detection.

See Dr. Eric Cole in action

SecureWorld Chicago event on 5-21-25

SecureWorld Boston 2025

SYWLE Jan 2025

INTERESTED IN WORKING WITH DR. ERIC COLE?

Whether you’re looking to curtail cyber threats to your business or want an expert to help your event or podcast audience understand their own security risks, Dr. Eric Cole is here to guide you. Let’s start the conversation.