Professional Activities

Dr. John D. Johnson has been involved in the Information Technology industry for 30+ years. He has 25+ years of experience as an information security executive. He has also worked as nuclear physicist at a national lab, CTO for an AI/Security startup, been a small business owner, consultant, educator, CISO advisory board member and volunteer. This is a truncated list of his most recent professional activities, development and recognition.

Professional Employment

• Aligned Security, LLC (Founder/President/CISO) (Current) (2017-2019; 2022-present)
– Providing executive advisory services & vCISO support for companies across industry verticals
• Docent Institute 501(c)(3) (Founder & President 2018-present) – Non-profit Iowa educational charity focused on advancing technology and cybersecurity education K-12, college, professionals.
• Quad City Cybersecurity Alliance (Founder & President 2009-present)
• Campbell Soup Company (Senior Executive/Information Security & Risk Management) (Past) (2020-2022)
• Deloitte, Advisory Senior Manager – IoT/Industrial Cybersecurity (2019-2020)
• CTO RIG (2018-2019)
• Excelsior College (Professor) (Past) (2011-2019) – Graduate Cybersecurity
• Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (Scott CC) (2004-2018) – Astronomy
• John Deere (Security Architect, Retired) (1999-2016)
• Los Alamos National Laboratory (T-Division Network Security Manager OCSR) (1996-1998)

Society and Board Leadership

• MedBlox (Security Architecture Advisor)
• Full Stack Academy (Advisory Board Member)
• ISSA Education Foundation (Director & Fundraising Co-Chair)
• ISSA Cyber Executive Forum (Senior Member & Planning Committee)
• Security Advisor Alliance (Founding Board Member); CISO Awards (Judge 2015)
• Cyber Education Foundation (Founding Board Member)
• Cyber Mass Corp (Founding Board Member)
• Ohio Cyber Women (Founding Board Member)
• SC Media Editorial Advisory Board
• SC Magazine Awards US (Judge 2011-Present, 2017 US Award Ceremony Co-Chair)
• ISC2: Quad Cities Membership Chair (2012-Present); National College Scholarship Committee (2019-present)
• CornCon/Quad Cities Cybersecurity Conference & Kids’ Hacker Camp/STEM Festival (Co-Founder/Chair)
• DEFCON/R00tz Asylum (Kids’ Program) (Program Organizer 2010-2019)

IEEE – Advancing Technology for the Benefit of Humanity 

(2023) IEEE Cybersecurity STC (Chair); IEEE-USA Nominations & Appointments Committee; R4 Small Sections West Area Chair; IA-IL Section Webmaster; IEEE Computer Society Merwin Award Committee (Chair)

(2022) Computer Society Board of Governors (Sensors Council Rep); IEEE Cybersecurity STC (Chair); IA-IL Section Webmaster; R4 Small Sections East Support Chair; IEEE Computer Society Merwin Award Committee (Member)

(2021) Computer Society Board of Governors (Sensors Council Rep); IA-IL Computer Society Vice Chair; IA-IL Section Webmaster; R4 Small Sections East Support Chair; IEEE Computer Society Merwin Award Committee (Member)

(2020) Computer Society Board of Governors; IEEE-USA Committee on Communications Policy; Iowa Illinois Section Vice-Chair; Iowa Illinois Computer Society Vice Chair; R4 Small Sections East Area Support Chair; R4 Strategic Planning Committee; IEEE-USA Awards and Recognition Committee Past-Chair; Sensors Council Adcom (CS Rep); Computer Society Audit Committee Chair; Transactions on Cloud Computing Reviewer

(2019) Computer Society Board of Governors; IEEE-USA VP of Communications and Public Awareness; IEEE-USA CCP & Research Policy Committees; Iowa Illinois Section Past-Chair; R4 Small Sections East Area Support Chair; R4 Strategic Planning Committee; IEEE-USA Awards and Recognition Committee Chair; R4 Social Media Chair; DLT for Agriculture Working Group Chair

(2018) Computer Society Board of Governors; IEEE-USA VP of Communications and Public Awareness; Iowa Illinois Section Chair; R4 Small Sections East Area Support Chair; R4 Strategic Planning Committee; IEEE-USA Awards and Recognition Committee Chair; IEEE MOVE Communications Chair; IEEE Awards Board; VIC Conference Committee; IEEE Awards Board APPRC; MGA SAC Awards Committee; IEEE Blockchain Initiative Conferences Committee

(2017) Iowa Illinois Section Chair; R4 Small Sections East Area Support Chair; IEEE-USA Awards and Recognition Committee Chair; MGA Awards and Recognition Committee Past-Chair; IEEE MOVE Communications Chair; IEEE Awards Board; VIC Conference Committee; IEEE Awards Board Awards Policy and Portfolio Review Committee; MGA SAC Awards Committee

(2016) MGA Awards and Recognition Committee Chair, MGA Member Engagement and Life Cycle Committee, IEEE-USA Awards and Recognition Committee; IEEE Awards Board Member and Liaison to Young Professionals; IEEE Awards Board Awards Policy and Portfolio Review Committee; ; MGA SAC Awards Committee; R4 East Area Small Sections Support Chair; IA-IL Section Vice Chair

(2015) MGA Awards and Recognition Committee Chair, MGA MELCC Member, IEEE-USA Awards Committee; IEEE Awards Board and Liaison to Young Professionals; MGA SAC Awards Committee; Region 4 East Area Small Sections Support Chair; IA-IL Computer Society Co-Chair

(2014) R4 Awards Chair, IEEE-USA Awards Committee, MGA Awards Committee; MGA SAC Awards Committee;  IA-IL Computer Society Co-Chair

(2011-2013) Region 4 Awards Chair, IEEE-USA Awards Committee, MGA Awards Committee

(2003-2010): IA-IL Section Chair (served all Section roles), IA-IL Computer Society Chair/Founder, Region 4 Education Chair, IEEE Critical Infrastructure Protection Committee

Past Volunteer Roles

• Cybersecurity Collaborative (Advisor) (Past)
• (NIST) NICE Challenge Project Advisory Board (Past)
• Versive, CISO Advisory Board Member (2017-2018)
• Sigma Xi Research Honor Society: Chapter Secretary/Treasurer (2013-2016); President (2017); Past President (2018)
• Illinois State Board of Education: BCSSE Leadership Team (2012-2015)
• Iowa State University / Security and Software Engineering Research Council (Industry Advisor, 2014-2015)
• Quad City Engineering and Science Council (QCESC): Representative (2008-Present), President-Elect (2009-2010), President (2010-2011), Director (2012-2013)
• FBI InfraGard: Treasurer, Springfield Chapter (2009-2011)
• The University of Advancing Technology, Advisory Board (2011-2013)
• Cyber Warfare Forum Initiative (CWFI) (Founding Member)
• National Academy of Sciences workgroup on Professionalizing the Cybersecurity Workforce (Past)
• DHS National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) (updating the National Cybersecurity Workforce Framework) (Past)
• FIRST Volunteer (FLL, FTC, FIRST Robotics)

Speaking Engagements (75+ presentations, including:)

• RSA Conference
• Black Hat USA
• InfoWarCon
• CornCon
• Bloomcon
• Cyber Education Foundation
• Argyle
• Camp IT
• CDM Media CISO Summit
• Chicago Security Innovation Summit (SINET)
• Evanta CISO/CDO/CIO Summits
• GDS International Next Generation Security Summit
• IANS Forum
• IQPC Security & Privacy Summits
• SC Congress

Conference Planning

• RSA Conference Program Committee (2008, 2012-Present)
• CornCon (QC Cybersecurity Conference) & Children of The CornCon (Kids Hacker Camp) – Co-Founder/Program Chair (2015-Present)
• Security Advisor Alliance Executive Leadership Summit (Program Committee)
• DefCon (R00tz Kids Program) (2011-2019)
• Black Hat CISO Advisory Board (& 2016 Black Hat Executive Summit) (2008-2018)
• InfoWarCon Program Committee (2017-2018)
• Evanta Chicago CISO Summit & Global CISO Summit Governing Board Member (Past)

Education & Development

• Digital Directors Network Qualified Technicnal Expert (QTE); QTE501 certification (2024)
• University of Chicago-Booth School of Management: (Executive Certificate) CISO Institute (2015); CIO Institute (2014)
• The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX – Ph.D. Experimental Nuclear Physics 1992
• Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI – M.S. Physics 1988
• Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI – B.S. Physics 1986

• US Cyber Consequences Unit: Cyber Threat Analysis (2015); Cyber Consequence Analysis (2015)
• The George Washington University: Project Management Strategic Alignment (2012); Project Scheduling & Cost Control (2009); Risk Management (2008); Global Project Management (2006); Complex Project Management (2005); Project Leadership, Management & Communications (2005)
• Risk Management: FAIR Risk Management (2015); CampIT Risk Management (2013)
• Cybersecurity: Ultimate Advanced Hacking (2006); Hacking Advanced (2005)
• John Deere Advanced Mastery Coach

Instruction and Course Development: (>100 courses taught since 2003)

• Cybersecurity graduate course development: Walden, Laureate, ITT Tech, St. Ambrose University (instructor)
• Excelsior College: Adjunct Professor (60%) Cybersecurity Program (2011-2019)
• University of Chicago – Booth School of Management: CISO Institute (development and instruction) (2014-2015)
• Physics and Astronomy undergraduate course development/instruction: St. Ambrose University, Eastern Iowa Community Colleges (2003-2017)
• Eastern Iowa Community College – Physics and Astronomy – Adjunct Professor (2003-2017)

Certifications and Recognition

• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
• Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC)
• Chicago CISO of the Year Runner-Up (2014)
• DDN Boardroom Qualified Technical Expert (QTE)
• QCESC 2008 Senior Scientist of the Year (2008)
• IEEE Region 4 Jack Sherman Outstanding Member Award (2010)
• IEEE Senior Member
• IEEE HKN Honor Society
• IEEE Computer Society Golden Core
• ISSA Senior Member
• Rotary Paul Harris Fellow (2007)
• Charter Member, FAIR Institute
• Fellow, Ponemon Institute