Joe Saunders is the founder and CEO of RunSafe Security, a pioneer of cyberhardening technology for embedded systems and devices and industrial control systems. He leads a team of former U.S. government cybersecurity specialists who know how attackers think about problems, how they weaponize attacks and how they choose targets. A 25-year veteran of many national security and cybersecurity roles, Joe is on a personal mission to transform cybersecurity by challenging outdated assumptions and disrupting the economics that motivate hackers to attack.
Over his career, Joe has built and scaled technology into companies servicing both private sector and public sector security needs. Prior to forming RunSafe Security, Joe advised, invested, and supported multiple security and risk management companies, including Kaprica Security, which had one of its core lines of business acquired by Samsung. He also served in several advisory functions with Sovereign Intelligence, Distil Networks, and Analyze Corp. In addition, Joe worked as the director of Thomson Reuters Special Services, where he helped law enforcement agencies identify national security threats, including theft of intellectual property. Joe was also a member of the management team and VP, Business Development at TARGUSinfo, which was acquired by Neustar for $650M in 2011.
Joe is a frequently sought-after speaker and panelist and is regularly asked to author articles on cybersecurity issues related to critical infrastructure, especially on topics relevant to supply chain risk mitigation, container security, and connected devices. Joe has a BS degree in mathematics from the University of Michigan, a MS in predictive analytics from Northwestern University, and an MBA from George Mason University. He is the founder of Children’s Voice International, a 501(c) 3 non-profit which helps displaced, abandoned, and trafficked children restore their lives.