Author: Eric L. Qualkenbush

Eric L. Qualkenbush is a member of the Board of Directors of BLACKOPS Partners Corporation. Eric is a former intelligence community senior executive with extensive experience leading large multicultural organizations through transformational change. He is an innovator who has created organizations and programs that deal with the worldwide proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, insider threat, and competitive intelligence. During his CIA career, Eric led the CIA’s principal training organization and the office that created and managed cover arrangements for all CIA personnel and others in the US government. Eric also managed undercover CIA operations in five overseas offices in the Middle East, and in Western and Eastern Europe. Eric has done pioneering work on mitigating the threats from insiders in private and public organizations.

From the Winter 2017 Issue

Asymmetrical Hybrid Warfare The Most Significant World Event of This Century Cybersecurity: Why We Can’t Get It Right As Attacks, Breaches and Massive Theft Worsen

Author(s):

Anthony M. Chapa, Assistant Director and Chief Technology Officer, retired, United States Secret Service

Eric L. Qualkenbush, Director, Office of Central Cover; Director, Training and Education, retired, Central Intelligence Agency

T. Casey Fleming, Chairman and CEO, BLACKOPS Partners Corporation

The U.S. is Losing the Cybersecurity Battle  Cybersecurity is the most important and least understood agenda item for senior leadership and staff in every sector – business, government, the military, and academia. While we continually increase spending on failed cybersecurity strategies, the United States continues to lose the battle by a wider margin each year … Read more

From the Fall 2015 Issue

PLANNING AND EXECUTING AN EFFECTIVE DATA BREACH EXERCISE

Author(s):

Anthony M. Chapa, Assistant Director and Chief Technology Officer, retired, United States Secret Service

Eric L. Qualkenbush, Director, Office of Central Cover; Director, Training and Education, retired, Central Intelligence Agency

T. Casey Fleming, Chairman and CEO, BLACKOPS Partners Corporation

Why Regular Data Breach Exercises Are Required  Data breaches continue to trend up exponentially for all U.S. companies, government agencies, universities, and research facilities. Today, even our smartphones, public Wi-Fi, and homes are consistently being hacked for access to sensitive data. Nation states and privateer hackers have grown dramatically in numbers and capability over the … Read more

From the Spring 2015 Issue

In 2015, It’s All about the Data

Author(s):

Eric L. Qualkenbush, Director, Office of Central Cover; Director, Training and Education, retired, Central Intelligence Agency

T. Casey Fleming, Chairman and CEO, BLACKOPS Partners Corporation

A New World  2014 taught us that massive security breaches are the new normal for U.S. companies, government agencies, and universities. Some of the most prominent were Target, Home Depot, Neiman Marcus, Apple’s iCloud, Michaels, the U.S. Postal Service, the IRS, Community Health Services, UPS, Staples, the State Department, Sands Casinos, USIS, eBay, PF Chang’s, … Read more

From the Winter 2015 Issue

THE TOP 12 SECURITY BREACH FACTS EVERY C-LEVEL EXECUTIVE AND BOARD MEMBER MUST KNOW

Author(s):

Eric L. Qualkenbush, Director, Office of Central Cover; Director, Training and Education, retired, Central Intelligence Agency

T. Casey Fleming, Chairman and CEO, BLACKOPS Partners Corporation

Magnitude of the Threat  Over $500B of innovation and trade secrets secretly stolen each year: this means nearly every company with trade secrets is constantly targeted and compromised. The equivalent of $5 Trillion in total economic value removed from the U.S. economy each year (USA 2013 GDP: approx. $17 Trillion)  250,000+ cyber soldiers and nearly … Read more