jody westby
Jody Westby
CyLab Distinguished Fellow
CEO, Global Cyber Risk LLC
Jody Westby received her B.A., summa cum laude, University of Tulsa; J.D., magna cum laude, Georgetown University Law Center; Order of the Coif. Drawing upon a unique combination of more than twenty years of technical, legal, policy, and business experience, Jody Westby brings a seasoned, multidisciplinary perspective to the many issues facing businesses and governments today in the areas of privacy, information security, outsourcing/offshoring risks, cybercrime, and IT business risk management. She regularly consults with governments, private sector executives, and operational personnel on the development of enterprise security programs that dovetail the technical, legal, operational, and managerial considerations.
Prior to forming Global Cyber Risk, Ms. Westby served as senior managing director for PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), specializing in outsourcing and cyber security/privacy issues. Before that, she was president of The Work-IT Group, launched an IT solutions company for the CIA, managed the domestic policy department for the world's largest business organization, was senior fellow and director of information technology (IT) studies for one of the nation's leading think tanks, practiced law with two top-tier New York firms, and spent ten years in the computer industry specializing in database management systems.
Ms. Westby helped launch PwC’s outsourcing practice and led numerous outsourcing engagements focusing on IT offshore and BPO activities. She was also responsible for information security, privacy, information sharing and critical infrastructure protection issues across the federal government. Prior to joining PwC, Ms. Westby launched and operated The Work-IT Group, specializing in the legal/regulatory framework for IT and using technology as an economic driver and booster of competitiveness and outsourcing opportunities for developing countries. In January 2003, she developed a methodology and approach for USAID to determine reform priorities for growth of e-commerce and development using ICTs. She has commented on and/or drafted e-commerce legislation for Armenia, Bangladesh, and Bulgaria. Ms. Westby has advised government officials and industry in Bulgaria, Croatia, Macedonia, Romania, Armenia, Serbia, Russia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Trinidad, Dominica, St. Lucia, Grenada, South Africa, and India.
Prior to founding The Work-ITGroup, Ms. Westby was Chief Administrative Officer and Counsel of In-Q-Tel, Inc., a non-profit corporation devoted to finding unclassified, commercial solutions to ITproblems facing the U.S. intelligence community. As a practicing attorney, Ms. Westby practiced international trade, technology, and intellectual property law with the New York firms of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison and Shearman & Sterling. As Senior Fellow and Director of Information Technology Studies for The Progress & Freedom Foundation, she directed and managed ITprojects on an array of cutting-edge issues.
Previously, Ms. Westby was Director of Domestic Policy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, where she was responsible for a wide range of business policy issues under her purview. Her department was responsible for influencing national policy in both the legislative and regulatory arenas in each of these areas. Ms. Westby organized and managed national coalitions and supervised U.S. Chamber involvement in 33 industry coalitions.
Ms. Westby serves as Adjunct Distinguished Fellow to Carnegie Mellon CyLab. She is a member of the bars of the District of Columbia, Colorado and Pennsylvania and the American Bar Association. She is chair of the ABA's Privacy and Computer Crime Committee and was chair, co-author and editor of its International Guide to Combating Cybercrime, International Guide to Cyber Security, International Guide to Privacy, and Roadmap to an Enterprise Security Program (endorsed by the Global CSO Council). Ms. Westby is a member of the World Federation of Scientists’ Permanent Monitoring Panel on Information Security and represents the American Bar Association on the Board of the National Conference of Lawyers and Scientists. She also serves on the advisory board of TheIntellectual Property Counselor and Eruces, Inc. Ms. Westby is the author of numerous articles on information security and speaks globally on privacy, security, cybercrime, outsourcing, Homeland Security, and legal issues pertaining to the use of technology.