Dave Trader is one of the most trusted cybersecurity leaders
in the United States—a combat-tested executive, cleared
national security asset, and decorated veteran of the United
States Marine Corps. With over two decades of experience in
cyber operations, critical infrastructure defense, and federal
incident coordination, Dave has supported high-risk sectors,
regulated enterprises, and government-aligned missions.
Dave holds an active Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented
Information (TS/SCI) clearance sponsored by the Federal
Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He is a graduate of the FBI
CISO Academy and later returned as an instructor, regularly
training senior cybersecurity leaders from Fortune 100
companies and federal agencies. He is frequently called to
Quantico to support advanced incident command
simulations, strategic briefings, and coordination at the
intersection of law enforcement and private-sector defense.
As a Department of Homeland Security–certified Incident

Commander, Dave has led response efforts in over 100 real-
world cyber attacks, guiding organizations through containment, forensics, recovery, and law enforcement
collaboration. His experience spans municipalities, critical
infrastructure operators, healthcare systems, financial
institutions, and global brands in high-pressure cyber
recovery scenarios.

Dave holds more than 75 cybersecurity certifications,
including CISSP, Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), CompTIA
Security+, and advanced credentials across risk management,
cloud security, and digital forensics. He is also a certified
Local Agency Security Officer (LASO) for Criminal Justice
Information Services (CJIS), with extensive experience
managing secure CJIS environments in compliance with
federal standards.

He earned both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in
Criminal Justice and Computer Science from Bob Jones
University and is a graduate of Leadership Detroit, Class
XXXV. Early in his career, Dave was recognized as one of the
youngest CISOs in Michigan, reflecting his exceptional talent
and executive maturity.

Dave is the author of the Amazon best-seller The
Cybersecurity Endgame: America’s Race Against Time, a
strategic call to action exploring the evolution of threat
actors, the fragility of digital infrastructure, and the urgency
of public-private cooperation.

From 1998 to 2007, Dave served with distinction in the
United States Marine Corps, supporting Tier 1 special
operations units in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other global
theaters. He provided battlefield encryption, secure communications, and tactical infrastructure support in high-
risk environments.

His military commendations include the Combat Action
Ribbon, Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal,
Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Good Conduct
Medal, and others.

Dave’s strategic counsel has been sought by the FBI, DHS,
CISA, DIA, CBP, Secret Service, and leading academic
institutions. His combined federal, military, and executive
experience positions him as a trusted leader in elite-level
cybersecurity operations, discretion, and national security
initiatives.