John’s identity was stolen out of his corporation and used to commit a series of crimes, including $300,000 worth of digital embezzlement. While the data thief (an “internal spy”) operated behind the safety of John’s identity, John and his business were held legally and financially responsible for the felonies committed. Ultimately, the data breach destroyed John’s corporation and consumed two years of his life as he fought to stay out of jail. But John chose to fight back and speak out.

Emerging from this crisis, John became America’s leading professional speaker on identity theft prevention and corporate data privacy. His experiences as victim and victor ledhim to write the critically acclaimed, award-winning book, Stolen Lives, which was recently chosen as the #1 Business Book at the EVVY Awards.

John teaches audiences to bulletproof their bottom line against data breach.

Weaving his story together with cutting-edge research, disarming humor and hilarious audience interaction, John inspires every one of us to emotionally grasp and intellectually comprehend the profitability of privacy. After all, sensitive data - whether personal or professional - is the most valuable asset inside of our organizations. By examining the role of fear, incorporating the power of instinct and redefining our paradigm of trust, John empowers audiences to regain control of that information - before it’s too late.

His satisfied repeat clients include the Department of Defense, FDIC, the Federal Trade Commission, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Pfizer, the Federal Reserve Bank, Lincoln Financial Group, AARP, Prudential, Liberty Mutual, and scores of financial institutions, universities and associations of all sizes. John recently appeared on 60 Minutes and is regularly featured on NBC, ABC, Fox and Money Matters Today.
John is President of The Sileo Group, an idea-lab focused on guiding organizations to proactively adapt to and thrive in the ever-changing world of information domination. The Sileo Group offers keynote speaking, executive coaching and business strategy.

John is the founder of four successful businesses in the fields of executive education, Internet software, web-auctions and professional services. Formerly a management consultant with Mercer Management Consulting, John advised Fortune 500 clients, including Bank of America, Texaco and Sprint on strategic initiatives. John is a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar (New Zealand), and graduated from Harvard University with honors. He lives happily at the foot of the Rocky Mountains with his amazing wife, two highly-spirited daughters, acoustic guitar and Cairn terriers.

Think Like a Spy: Bulletproofing Your Identity (45-75 minutes)

Identity theft is America’s fastest growing crime and second highest concern among all Americans. This crime not only affects families, but has legal and financial liability implications for all types of organizations. Good personal privacy habits lead to safer data within your organization. And safe data is profitable data.  

Protecting yourself and your business is simply a process of acquiring the right knowledge, skills and plan of action. This session will deliver those tools on a personal level, empowering you to leave behind the culture of fear in exchange for peace of mind.  

In Think Like a Spy: Bulletproofing Your Identity, you will experience:

• The #1 Obstacle to Privacy and how to overcome it
• How to Think Like a Spy: applying espionage techniques to data protection
• Bulletproofing Intellectual Property in your organization
• The Top 5 Social Engineering Triggers and how to respond to them
• Interrogation Tools to detect and avoid the latest scams before they bite
• Risk-Scenario Training that lets you experience prevention first-hand
• Targeting the Enemy: a plan of action for minimizing risk with less work
• Practical Skills to protect your wallet, trash, computer, mailbox, brain, business & more

Think Like a Spy: The Business of Protecting Your Business’s Privacy (60-75 Minutes)

Once we understand how to protect our personal identities, then we have the tools and motivation to begin protecting valuable corporate data. Identity theft and corporate data loss are a huge financial cost and legal liability to corporations and organizations. It is imperative in our information economy that we train our work-force on how to protect those information assets, whether they are digital, physical or intellectual.

Employing the Think Like a Spy Privacy Reflex will give your audience a concrete way as business leaders to evaluate and implement privacy protections throughout your organization. Your audience will learn:

• The 3 Steps of Privacy Strategy
• The 3 Enemies of Corporate Privacy
• 5 Myths of Corporate Data Loss
• How to implement the Think Like a Spy Privacy Reflex
• How to prevent "insider theft” of your private information
• How to save hundreds of lost work hours & thousands of dollars
• How to secure sensitive customer, employee, & intellectual data

MySpace isn’t MySpace: Protecting Young Adults’ Privacy (45 Minutes)

Every parent and young adult should be aware of the fact that college-age students are at the highest risk of identity theft and general abuse of private information. Just like most young adults were taught Stranger Danger in school, they should also be taught how to protect their increasingly threatened identities. This program is appropriate for both parents and young adults, but is geared to instill a Privacy Reflex in the younger generation. Your audience will learn:

• The threats posed by social networking sites like MySpace.com, Facebook, etc.
• How to balance the free flow of information via technology (the Internet, cell phones, text messaging, IMing) with the need for privacy
• A highly effective Privacy Reflex (Jujitsu) to protect their young identity
• Concrete response tools to protect themselves from becoming a statistic of identity theft or online predators
• How to avoid the bad financial habits of adults (over-extended credit cards, debt, information regurgitation, something for nothing syndrome, etc.)
• How to detect frauds, scams & social engineering before they bite

This program does not talk to parents about what role they can play in protecting their young adult, but those materials can be added for the appropriate audience.

INDUSTRY SPECIFIC PROGRAMS:

Your Financial Institution as Hero: Protecting Customers Against Identity Theft

No one is in a better position to educate individuals about identity theft prevention than financial institutions. Not only do they have the “financial ear” of their clients, but they have a responsibility to protect their customers and members from this highly financial crime. This speech applies to banks, credit unions, insurance companies, brokers, financial planners, accountants, etc.

Here is the good news. By educating your customers or members about how to protect themselves against America’s Fastest Growing Crime, your financial institution benefits at the bottom line. By wearing the white hat in the financial services industry, your organization will learn how to:

• Leverage identity theft education to develop more loyal customers
• Raise effective barriers to customer defection
• Lower your cost of doing business while raising customer service
• Improving share-of-wallet through prevention goodwill
• Lower the fraud-loss your institution incurs when your customer is victimized
• Take full advantage of the hero’s publicity
• Implement tipping-point customer referrals