Dave Trader is one of the most trusted cybersecurity leaders in the United States—a combat-tested executive, cleared national security asset, and decorated veteran of the United States Marine Corps.

With over two decades of experience in cyber operations, critical infrastructure defense, and federal incident coordination, Dave is the founder and President/CISO of XO Cyber, a firm purpose-built to serve high-risk sectors, regulated enterprises, and government-aligned missions.

Dave holds an active Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance sponsored by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

He is a graduate of the FBI CISO Academy and was later selected to return as an instructor, where he regularly trains senior cybersecurity leaders from Fortune 100 companies and federal agencies.

He is frequently called to Quantico to support advanced incident command simulations, strategic briefings, and coordination at the intersection of law enforcement and private-sector defense.

Dave is a  Department of Homeland Security–certified Incident Commander, and has led response efforts in over 100 real-world cyber attacks, guiding organizations through containment, forensics, recovery, and law enforcement collaboration. He has supported municipalities, critical infrastructure operators, healthcare systems, financial institutions, and global brands in high-pressure cyber recovery scenarios.

He holds more than 75 cybersecurity certifications from FEDVET and other accredited institutions, including CISSP, Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), CompTIA Security+, and other advanced credentials spanning risk management, cloud security, and digital forensics. Dave is also a certified LASO (Local Agency Security Officer) for Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS), with extensive experience managing secure CJIS environments in compliance with federal law enforcement standards.

Dave earned both his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Criminal Justice and Computer Science from Bob Jones University. Dave is also a proud graduate of Leadership Detroit, Class XXXV, and was recognized early in his career as one of the youngest CISOs in the State of Michigan, reflecting both exceptional talent and early executive maturity.

He is the author of the Amazon best-seller The Cybersecurity Endgame: America’s Race Against Time, a strategic call to action that explores the evolution of threat actors, the fragility of digital infrastructure, and the urgency of public-private cooperation.

From 1998 to 2007, Dave served with distinction in the United States Marine Corps, supporting Tier 1 special operations units in global theaters including Iraq and Afghanistan.

He provided battlefield encryption, secure communications, and tactical infrastructure support in high-risk environments. His military commendations include the Combat Action Ribbon, Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, and Overseas Service Ribbon, among others.

Today, under Dave’s leadership, XO Cyber integrates law enforcement grade intelligence operations into its Security Operations Center (SOC) through proprietary pipelines using STIX 2.1, enabling:
 

• Automated ingestion and enrichment of classified and open-source CTI

• Real-time adversary profiling mapped to MITRE ATT&CK

• AI-enhanced detection and zero-latency containment workflows Bidirectional threat exchange with vetted federal and global partners

Dave’s strategic counsel has been sought by the FBI, DHS, CISA, DIA, CBP, Secret Service, and leading academic institutions. His combined federal, military, and executive experience positions XO Cyber as the MSSP of choice for organizations demanding elite-level security operations, discretion, and national trust.