Dr. Georgianna Shea

Dr. Georgianna “George” Shea, chief technologist at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation and its Transformative Cyber Innovation Lab, is a visionary leader in cybersecurity with nearly 30 years of pioneering experience across federal and commercial sectors. Renowned for her ability to translate complex technical challenges into innovative security solutions, she has been instrumental in safeguarding critical national infrastructure. Dr. Shea is at the forefront of cybersecurity innovation, bridging the gap between technical complexity and business needs by spearheading the development and piloting of groundbreaking projects that tackle the most pressing national security challenges and shape industry policies and security frameworks.

Her notable contributions include serving on the cyber-physical resilience working group of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), where she offered essential recommendations for infrastructure protection. Her expertise is highly sought after, leading her to advisory roles with technology companies like Cybeats, Rixon Technology, American Binary, and The Cyber Hero vCISO Network, as well as participation in the CyberWire Hash Table of experts.

Beyond her professional achievements, Dr. Shea is a dedicated educator and mentor. She has taught at Colorado Technical University, the University of Maine at Augusta, and Fusion Cyber and has spoken at prestigious venues such as Cybersecurity at MIT Sloan (CAMS), Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs, and Georgetown University. Her academic credentials include a Doctor of Computer Science from Colorado Technical University, a master’s in computer and information sciences from Regis University, and a bachelor’s in computer science from Hawaii Pacific University.