Theresa Payton Biography

Theresa Payton is a trailblazing cybersecurity expert, keynote speaker, and author, renowned as the first female White House Chief Information Officer (CIO) under President George W. Bush (2006–2008). As CEO and Founder of Fortalice Solutions, a top-tier cybersecurity consulting firm, and co-founder of Dark3, she advises Fortune 500 companies and government agencies on securing digital transformation, AI, and privacy. 

A U.S. patent holder for security innovations, Payton authored “Manipulated: Inside the Cyberwar to Hijack Elections and Distort the Truth” (2020), listed among The Guardian’s top 10 cybercrime books, and co-authored “Privacy in the Age of Big Data and Protecting Your Internet Identity” (2014). A frequent media guest on outlets like "The Today Show" and CNN, she starred as Deputy Commander of Intelligence on CBS’s “Hunted”. Named a “Top 50 Woman in Tech” (2021) and “Cybersecurity Crusader of the Year “(2020).

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