Alex Sobol, Millennium’s Co-founder, is joined for a lively discussion with this week’s Transformational CISO keynote speaker, John Felker. In this episode, John discusses his mentors while growing up in a small town outside of Rochester, New York, his thirty years in the U.S. Coast Guard, and the country’s top domestic & foreign threats. In one of their conversations, Alex and John talk about the serious threat of disinformation that is present today. With the rise of social media, disinformation has been able to spread more widely and rapidly than ever before. Both John & Alex discuss the nuanced challenges that disinformation poses, and why mitigating this risk should be a priority for today’s leaders.
Listen to the podcast episode on Spotify, Apple, Google Podcasts, or SoundCloud.
About John Felker
John Felker is the Former Assistant Director for Integrated Operations, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) for the Department of Homeland Security which monitors cyber threat data and works with corporations to improve the strengths of the existing digital infrastructure. He brought focus to integrated operations across the Agency that extended to Regional CISA elements, intelligence, operational planning, and mission execution with emphasis on risk mitigation and response efforts.
Before his work at the DHS, Felker was the Director of Cyber and Intelligence Strategy at HP Enterprise Services. During his career of 30 years at the U.S Coast Guard, he served as Deputy Commander of Coast Guard Cyber Command and commanded the US Coast Guard Cryptologic Group, which provides a “maritime cryptologic perspective within the Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) community, helping to achieve national intelligence requirements and enhances Maritime Domain Awareness for operational commanders as they plan and execute Coast Guard missions” according to the USCG. Additionally, he commanded USCGC CAPE UPRIGHT and USCGC RED CEDAR. His military awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Meritorious Service Medal.
Felker graduated from Ithaca College in 1978 with a bachelor of science and later on completed his Master of Arts in Public Administration at Syracuse University in 1994. He also serves as a Senior Fellow at the McCrary Institute for Cyber and Critical Infrastructure Security at Auburn University. He is currently on the Board of Governors of the Army-Navy Country Club, the board of directors of the Operation Renewed Hope Foundation, and the board of advisors for the Military Cyber Professionals Association and the Cyber Security Forum Initiative.
