Future of Digital Security

IST expands experience, expertise with four adjunct technical and policy advisors

APRIL 3, 2023 — Today, the Institute for Security and Technology announced the addition of four adjunct advisors to our team. We are excited to welcome Jen Ellis and Jeff Greene as Adjunct Senior Policy Advisors and Bryson Bort and Jason Kikta, who will join us as Adjunct Senior Technical Advisors. These cybersecurity experts will draw on their depth of experience in the field to contribute to IST research and offer input on our ongoing lines of effort. 

Bryson Bort brings deep technical expertise on industrial control system security and open-source software security and familiarity with cybersecurity communities to the IST team. Bryson is the founder of SCYTHE, an adversary attack emulation platform, founder of GRIMM, a cybersecurity consultancy, and co-founder of ICS Village, a non-profit that works to advance awareness of the need for industrial control system security. 

“My mantra has been that the cyber poor don’t need more paper but action, which matches IST’s non-traditional approach. Since they first assembled the Ransomware Task Force in 2021, I have wanted to join forces to make the world more secure,” Bryson Bort said. 

Jen Ellis, as a Ransomware Task Force co-chair, comes to IST with a strong interest in cybersecurity policy, technical analysis, and development of norms and best practices in cyberspace. She is the founder of NextJenSecurity and a member of multiple cybersecurity-focused boards, including the CyberPeace Institute, Center for Cybersecurity Policy and Law, Aerospace Village, and the Rapid7 Foundation. 

“Having worked closely with the IST team through the Ransomware Task Force, I’ve seen first hand their passion for creating positive change that advances national security and the safe adoption of connected technologies. I’m excited to work with them on additional projects and to continue to advocate for better responses to extortion-based attacks,” commented Jen Ellis.

Jeff Greene joins the adjunct advisor team with experience on cybersecurity issues both in the government and the private sector for 15 years, with a particular interest in the security of the nation’s critical infrastructure. Most recently he was the Chief for Cyber Response & Policy at the National Security Council, where he led the White House’s counter-ransomware effort and the work to harden US cybersecurity in advance of Russia’s February, 2021 invasion of Ukraine. He is currently the Senior Director for Cybersecurity Programs at the Aspen Institute.

“I’m very excited to join the team. I have seen firsthand how IST can break down complex and dynamic problems in a way that shapes national security policy and directly contributes to operational results,” Jeff Greene remarked. 

Jason Kikta joins IST with a comprehensive understanding of counter-ransomware efforts and public-private collaboration. He is currently the Chief Information Security Officer at Automox. Prior to Automox, Jason served for more than 20 years in the United States Marine Corps, to include United States Cyber Command. 

“Being a part of the brilliant team at IST allows me to still contribute to the important work for the public good that I did in government. IST enabled some of the most impactful counter-ransomware operations we conducted during my time at US Cyber Command,” Jason Kikta said. 

The four join Adjunct Senior Technical Advisor Marc Rogers, who is contributing to IST’s efforts to secure the open source software ecosystem. 

“We’re thrilled to welcome Bryson, Jen, Jeff, and Jason to IST,” said Megan Stifel, Chief Strategy Officer. “In our work to tackle emerging cyber threats and mitigate the threat of ransomware, we believe that it is vital to incorporate a range of backgrounds and perspectives. The advisors will work closely with our team, providing feedback on our work, authoring work of their own, and guiding IST efforts.”