Richard Stiennon

Richard Stiennon

Keynote Speaker: IT Security Industry Analyst & Author of "Surviving Cyberwar," "There Will Be Cyberwar" & "Curmudgeon: How to Succeed as an Industry Analyst"

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  • Speaking Fee:
    Live Event Fee: $10,000 - $20,000
    Virtual Event Fee: Below $10,000
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Richard Stiennon Biography

Richard Stiennon is the Chief Research Analyst for IT-Harvest, the firm he founded in 2005 to cover the 3,300+ vendors that make up the IT security industry. He has presented on cybersecurity in 31 countries on six continents and was a lecturer at Charles Sturt University in Australia. He is the author of "Secure Cloud Transformation: The CIO’s Journey," "UP and to the RIGHT: Strategy and Tacts of Analyst Influence," "Surviving Cyberwar," and The Washington Post Best-Seller "There Will Be Cyberwar." He writes for Forbes, CSO Magazine, and The Analyst Syndicate.

Additionally, Stiennon's "Security Yearbook 2020" was launched in February 2020. It is the only history of the IT security industry and is updated each year with a complete directory of all security product vendors listed by category and country. He has since released a 2021, 2022, 2023, and upcoming 2024 version. He also published "Curmudgeon: How to Succeed as an Industry Analyst" in 2020, the first book on how to become and excel as an industry analyst.

He is a member of the advisory board at the Information Governance Initiative and several technology startups. Stiennon was the Chief Strategy Officer for Blancco Technology Group, the Chief Marketing Officer for Fortinet, Inc., and the Vice President of Threat Research at Webroot Software. Prior to that, he was the Vice President of Research at Gartner, Inc. He has a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering and an MA in War in the Modern World from King’s College, London.

Contact a speaker booking agent to check availability on Richard Stiennon and other top speakers and celebrities.

Richard Stiennon Speaking Topics

Cyber Defense

With known adversaries from foreign governments to domestic surveillance the security challenge has changed from one of proper configurations and operational procedures to on of countering targeted attacks. In this presentation Stiennon describes the world’s best practices for thwarting sophisticated attackers.

How to create and staff a cyber defense team. Continuous monitoring coupled with security analytics is an additional required layer of defense. Lockheed’s cyber kill chain is the right approach, for now. Autonomous attacks will arise soon and the tools needed to thwart them are not even on the horizon.

The Revolution in Military Affairs Has Given Rise To The Real Threat of Cyberwar

Expanding on the topic of his Master’s dissertation at King’s College London Stiennon relates the history of the Revolution in Military Affairs within the major military organizations of the world and how the rush to Network Centric Warfare has laid the groundwork for cyber attacks and the incorporation of cyber weapons into each military’s battle plans.

Military preparedness is focusing on cyber offense to the detriment of defense. The rapid adaption of Network Centric Warfare has left most militaries vulnerable. The next war will be multi-domain, led by cyber.

How The Surveillance State Has Changed IT Security Forever

The rapid rise of surveillance by the NSA and other government spy agencies poses a new threat to every IT security department. Gone are the days when hackers, cyber criminals, or even espionage by foreign governments were the major driver of IT security investments. Since the 2013 revelations that the NSA had successfully executed on a mission of “information dominance” and “collect everything,” the new driver is massive data collection and how to counter it. Stiennon predicts that the IT security industry will respond quickly to this new threat with increased investments in encryption, key management, and the defenses required to protect the means of encryption. This will mean a tenfold increase, to $632 billion, in security spending by 2023.

IT Security spending is already growing at 24% a year. Four times what most analysts predict. Employment in IT security will grow tenfold The NSA is a threat that will be countered by a revolution in IT security technology.

Why Risk Management Fails

The three tenants of IT Risk Management are asset identification, value assessment, and vulnerability management. In this provocative presentation Stiennon demonstrates that all three are impossible and therefore time, money, and effort expended on risk management are misplaced. He advocates for a threat centric approach to IT security.

Take aways:

Most risk management programs are impossible to achieve and they do nothing to protect an organization from targeted attacks. Only by incorporating threat management can an organization counter advanced targeted attacks. In battle situations, leaders focus on threats, not risks.

Richard Stiennon Videos

CyberCast EP 04: Author, Analyst, and Cyber Thought Leader
Cybersecurity Career Intelligence
Richard Stiennon | Speaker Interview | Source Boston 2019 - YouTube

How do I book Richard Stiennon to speak at my event?

Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Richard Stiennon for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Richard Stiennon, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Richard Stiennon or any other speaker of your choice.

How much does it cost to book Richard Stiennon for a speaking engagement?

Speaking fees for Richard Stiennon, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Richard Stiennon are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and Below $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Richard Stiennon, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.

What topics does Richard Stiennon speak about?

Richard Stiennon is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Cybersecurity, Security & Defense, Technology, Finance and Authors.

Where does Richard Stiennon travel from?

Richard Stiennon generally travels from Birmingham, MI, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.

Who is the agent for Richard Stiennon?

AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Richard Stiennon for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Richard Stiennon for your next private or corporate function.

What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Richard Stiennon or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.

Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.


Richard Stiennon is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics including Cybersecurity, Security & Defense and Technology. The estimated speaking fee range to book Richard Stiennon for live events is $10,000 - $20,000, and for virtual events Below $10,000. Richard Stiennon generally travels from Birmingham, MI, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are April Falcon Doss, Russell Walker and Dr. Roman V. Yampolskiy. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Richard Stiennon for an upcoming event.

Speaker profile last updated by AAE Talent Team on 02/07/2024.

Richard Stiennon Speaking Topics

  • Cyber Defense

    With known adversaries from foreign governments to domestic surveillance the security challenge has changed from one of proper configurations and operational procedures to on of countering targeted attacks. In this presentation Stiennon describes the world’s best practices for thwarting sophisticated attackers.

    How to create and staff a cyber defense team. Continuous monitoring coupled with security analytics is an additional required layer of defense. Lockheed’s cyber kill chain is the right approach, for now. Autonomous attacks will arise soon and the tools needed to thwart them are not even on the horizon.

    The Revolution in Military Affairs Has Given Rise To The Real Threat of Cyberwar

    Expanding on the topic of his Master’s dissertation at King’s College London Stiennon relates the history of the Revolution in Military Affairs within the major military organizations of the world and how the rush to Network Centric Warfare has laid the groundwork for cyber attacks and the incorporation of cyber weapons into each military’s battle plans.

    Military preparedness is focusing on cyber offense to the detriment of defense. The rapid adaption of Network Centric Warfare has left most militaries vulnerable. The next war will be multi-domain, led by cyber.

  • How The Surveillance State Has Changed IT Security Forever

    The rapid rise of surveillance by the NSA and other government spy agencies poses a new threat to every IT security department. Gone are the days when hackers, cyber criminals, or even espionage by foreign governments were the major driver of IT security investments. Since the 2013 revelations that the NSA had successfully executed on a mission of “information dominance” and “collect everything,” the new driver is massive data collection and how to counter it. Stiennon predicts that the IT security industry will respond quickly to this new threat with increased investments in encryption, key management, and the defenses required to protect the means of encryption. This will mean a tenfold increase, to $632 billion, in security spending by 2023.

    IT Security spending is already growing at 24% a year. Four times what most analysts predict. Employment in IT security will grow tenfold The NSA is a threat that will be countered by a revolution in IT security technology.

  • Why Risk Management Fails

    The three tenants of IT Risk Management are asset identification, value assessment, and vulnerability management. In this provocative presentation Stiennon demonstrates that all three are impossible and therefore time, money, and effort expended on risk management are misplaced. He advocates for a threat centric approach to IT security.

    Take aways:

    Most risk management programs are impossible to achieve and they do nothing to protect an organization from targeted attacks. Only by incorporating threat management can an organization counter advanced targeted attacks. In battle situations, leaders focus on threats, not risks.

Richard Stiennon Videos

CyberCast EP 04: Author, Analyst, and Cyber Thought Leader
Cybersecurity Career Intelligence
Richard Stiennon | Speaker Interview | Source Boston 2019 - YouTube
Richard Stiennon: Where the Enterprise is Going with the Cloud ...
Countering Targeted Attacks- APT Defense by Richard Stiennon ...

Richard Stiennon Reviews

  • very smooth experience, thanks!
    Synopsys - Oct 29 2019

  • How do I book Richard Stiennon to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Richard Stiennon for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Richard Stiennon, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Richard Stiennon or any other speaker of your choice.
  • How much does it cost to book Richard Stiennon for a speaking engagement?

    Speaking fees for Richard Stiennon, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Richard Stiennon are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and Below $10,000 for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Richard Stiennon, click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Richard Stiennon speak about?

    Richard Stiennon is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics such as Cybersecurity, Security & Defense, Technology, Finance and Authors.
  • Where does Richard Stiennon travel from?

    Richard Stiennon generally travels from Birmingham, MI, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances.
  • Who is the agent for Richard Stiennon?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully secured keynote speakers like Richard Stiennon for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Schedule button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Richard Stiennon for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Richard Stiennon or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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