Cybersecurity Leader from Department of Energy, National Security Agency to Drive OT Cybersecurity Threat Intelligence Amid Era of Cyber-Physical Threats
ARLINGTON, VA – April 21, 2022 – Shift5, the OT cybersecurity company that defends military platforms and critical transportation systems from cyberattacks, today announced Alexander Gates has joined the company as Chief Research Officer (CRO). In this role, Gates will oversee the company’s threat research portfolio, product security strategy, and knowledge management efforts, ensuring the distribution of Shift5 information as efficiently as possible.
Shift5 protects the Operational Technology (OT) layer of transportation and weapon systems, providing aviation, rail and metro, and military defenders complete visibility into their OT networks. For the first time in history, operators can begin to apply cybersecurity best practices to the operation of these critical systems, dramatically reducing their cyber risk. In his role as CRO, Gates will apply his experience from the highest levels of U.S. national security to the strategy and design of Shift5’s threat intelligence apparatus, enabling transportation and defense industries to better secure planes, trains, and weapon systems at the OT level.
“Alexander has a unique experience of building systems, processes, and teams that secure U.S. critical infrastructure that rare few in this industry do,” said Josh Lospinoso, CEO and co-founder, Shift5. “Not many have been on the ground-floor of creating the standards of critical infrastructure cybersecurity, and are positioned to guide the next phase of cutting edge defense. We’re honored that Alexander will join our team as we work to defend transportation infrastructure and military platforms from adversaries.”
“Throughout his career within the U.S. government, Alexander has proven his ability to spark systemic change and demonstrated that effective cybersecurity isn’t achieved through compulsory actions or by completing a checklist; rather, through ongoing efforts, innovative threat intelligence practices, and information sharing,” said Shift5 President Joe Lea. “Alexander is a natural addition to our leadership team of change-makers from Silicon Valley and the U.S. government. Shift5 is growing rapidly and we look forward to Alexander’s leadership as we build a team uniquely capable of solving a difficult problem in cybersecurity.”
With over 40 years of military and civil service, Gates brings extensive experience leading cybersecurity initiatives for the federal government to Shift5. At the National Security Agency (NSA), he helped build the NSA Threat Operations Center, which identified emerging cyber threats; created a cyber integration lab that focused on cyber situational awareness; and spent years leading NSA’s Red, Blue, Hunt and Technical Security Teams. Gates has served in numerous senior leadership and technical positions in the areas of cyber threat, signals Intelligence, research, and information assurance.
During his time at DOE, Gates served as Senior Advisor for Cyberspace to the Secretary of Energy and led the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response. He created and implemented efforts to defend the grid – intelligence-driven initiatives designed to improve the generation and sharing of actionable threat information with the energy sector and the government.
Gates routinely engaged the private sector on cybersecurity matters and also represented NSA and DOE at the White House and Director of National Intelligence, Department of Defense, and to numerous congressional committees including those dealing with intelligence and critical infrastructure. Gates holds Master degrees in Public Administration and Information and Telecommunication Systems from Oklahoma and John Hopkins Universities, respectively.
“When I started my career in the government, cybersecurity wasn’t part of the conversation and a relatively small portion of our society participated in cyberspace. Today, everyone and everything is connected, whether it’s a person with a cell phone, a plane, a critical infrastructure component, DOD weapon system, or a freight locomotive. There’s also a growing sense of awareness of this interconnectedness in cyber-physical systems by nefarious actors,” said Alexander Gates, Chief Research Officer, Shift5. “Cyber never sleeps, and it only takes one gap in an infrastructure’s defenses for a bad actor to compromise a critical system and gain a dangerous advantage. To that end, Shift5 is solving a difficult and crucial problem in national security. Its unique approach, innovative technology, and creative leadership team has positioned the company as a reliable and creative partner in defense of the critical systems our society relies upon everyday. I am honored to join such a great team.”
Shift5 allows operators to gain visibility, detect threats, and maintain resilience of OT systems as cyber-physical attacks become an increasingly likely and attractive strategy for digital attackers. To learn more about how the company secures the world’s transportation and weapon systems from cyberattack, please visit https://shift5.io.
About Shift5
Shift5 is the OT cybersecurity company that protects the world’s transportation infrastructure and weapons systems from cyberattacks. Created by founding members of the U.S. Army Cyber Command who pioneered modern weapons system cyber assessments, Shift5 defends military platforms and commercial transportation systems against malicious actors and operational failures. Customers rely on Shift5 to detect threats and maintain the resilience of a wide variety of operational technology systems, including aviation, rail and metro, defense, helicopters, and other heavy fleet machinery. For more information, visit https://shift5.io.
Media Contact:
Katie Garagozzo
katie@shift5.io
Shift5, Inc.
Mission North for Shift5
shift5@missionnorth.com