Cyber Security Expert (the Hard Way)

John Sileo left hi-tech consulting and became an entrepreneur to reclaim his greatest priority - being present, every day, for his wife Mary and their dream of starting a family. Six successful years, a $2M business and two precious daughters later, he lost it all to cybercrime.

(Scroll down to find out why John is still smiling…)

JUST THE FACTS

JOHN SILEO

Leveraging His Story

Because the cybercriminal, a company insider, masked the crimes using John’s identity, John was held legally and financially responsible for the felonies committed. The losses destroyed his company, decimated his finances and consumed two years of his family life as he fought to stay out of jail. John shares his entire story from stage.

During his keynote, John laces his story with humor and interaction to inspire audiences to take security seriously without giving in to the fear. He has molded his first-hand experiences into a string of successes as an award-winning author, 60 Minutes guest and keynote speaker to the Pentagon, Schwab and thousands of audiences ready to take concrete action on cyber security, digital privacy and tech/life balance.

JUST THE FACTS

JOHN SILEO

Contact John

Professional Profile of John Sileo

• Graduated from Harvard University w/ honors
• Inducted into National Speakers Hall of Fame
• Award-winning author of more than 4 books
• Security expert on Rachel Ray, Anderson Cooper, Dr. Oz, and Fox & Friends
• Makes cyber security fun, so that it sticks

• Live-hacks iPhones and humans on stage

• CEO of The Sileo Group, a hi-tech think tank

• Contributor to USA Today, the Washington Post & Kiplinger

John’s helps organizations defend their data and tap into a depth of human resilience and ownership that provides the greatest security of all.

JUST THE FACTS

JOHN SILEO

PDF Summary of John’s Bio

Contact John

Husband, Dad and 2nd Degree Black Belt

Everything John does revolves around his family. In addition to working every day with his Mom and Dad (it was their business he destroyed, so it was the least he could do to employ them), John limits his travel so he can spend more time watching The Bachelor with his highly-spirited daughters (which he will deny, if asked), snowshoeing the Rocky Mountains with his adventurous wife and training for his 3rd-degree black belt in taekwondo (where he’s regularly thrashed by teenagers half his weight). John does in fact like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain. He’s more into bourbon and red wine than he is into champagne. Even though he graduated with honors from Harvard University (I know, we can hardly believe it too!), he agreed to name his cairn terrier "Oreo" because that’s what his girls wanted. John is more interested in making friends than in making money, but he loves making his living as a speaker and author.

JUST THE FACTS

JOHN SILEO

PDF Summary of John’s Bio

Contact John

John Sileo: Just the Facts

John Sileo left hi-tech consulting and became an entrepreneur to reclaim his greatest priority – being present, every day, for his wife Mary and their dream of starting a family. Six successful years, a $2M business and two precious daughters later, he lost it all to cybercrime.

Because the cybercriminal, a company insider, masked the crimes using John’s identity, John was held legally and financially responsible for the felonies committed. The losses destroyed his company, decimated his finances and consumed two years of his family life as he fought to stay out of jail. John shares his entire story from stage.

During his keynote, John laces his story with humor and interaction to inspire audiences to take security seriously without giving in to the fear. He has molded his first-hand experiences into a string of successes as an award-winning author, 60 Minutes guest and keynote speaker to the Pentagon, Schwab and thousands of audiences ready to take concrete action on cyber security, digital privacy and tech/life balance.

Professional Profile of John Sileo:

Graduated from Harvard University w/ honors
Inducted into National Speakers Hall of Fame
Award-winning author of more than 4 books
Security expert on Rachel Ray, Anderson Cooper, Dr. Oz, and Fox & Friends
Makes cyber security fun, so that it sticks
Live-hacks iPhones and humans on stage
CEO of The Sileo Group, a hi-tech think tank
Contributor to USA Today, the Washington Post & Kiplinger

John helps organizations defend their data and tap into a depth of human resilience and ownership that provides the greatest security of all.

PDF Summary of John’s Bio

Cyber Security Expert to a Who’s Who of Happy Clients

As a cyber security expert serving thousands of organizations, John’s experiences have led to speaking engagements with the Pentagon, Visa, Charles Schwab, Homeland Security, the FDIC, Pfizer, Million Dollar Round Table, the FTC, Northrop Grumman, The Hartford, the Federal Reserve Bank, the University of Massachusetts and hundreds of organizations, universities, and associations of all types. No matter the size of the company or technical experience of the audience, John makes sure participants are motivated and educated to change their relationship to data security.

Cyber Security Expert to a Who’s Who of Happy Clients

As a cyber security expert serving thousands of organizations, John’s experiences have led to speaking engagements with the Pentagon, Visa, Charles Schwab, Homeland Security, the FDIC, Pfizer, Million Dollar Round Table, the FTC, Northrop Grumman, The Hartford, the Federal Reserve Bank, the University of Massachusetts and hundreds of organizations, universities, and associations of all types. No matter the size of the company or technical experience of the audience, John makes sure participants are motivated and educated to change their relationship to data security.

Ready for an Unforgettable Story to Educate & Invigorate Your Audience?

Contact John

Meet the Sileo Team

Sue Liming

Business Manager, Brains of the Organization

Sue is John‘s hyper-organized, super-sweet alter ego. As his business manager, Sue takes care of Sileo’s speaking clients like they are one of her precious puppies (which are pitbulls, so she can be firm when necessary). If Sue ever retires, John is going with her. When you talk to her on the phone (because she loves communicating in person), ask her to please, please not retire before she helps coordinate your event. You won‘t be sorry. You should also invite her to play golf with you at your favorite golf course, but don’t offer her olives, sushi or saurkraut afterwards, because she will fire you. You can reach Sue directly on 303.777.3221 x 101 or by filling out our Get in Touch form.

Barb Sileo

CFO, Kind Heart and Life-Balance Role Model

Please call her Barb, and don‘t be intimidated by her title (CFO) because she also happens to be John’s Mom. This is significant, because how many families do you know that can work together for decades and still enjoy each other every day? Mostly that‘s because Barb is the friendliest person that you will ever meet (unless she’s forced to collect funds from you). When you get her on the phone, ask her about Scotland, her long winding conversion to scotch (those two are related), the finer aspects of Earl Grey tea, her love of watercolor painting and how she gently handles cranky John when he forgets to have lunch. Barb never really gets upset, so call her first if you are in an angry mood. She lives a life of balance, optimism and deep appreciation for things exactly as they are.

Jim Sileo

Entrepreneur and Self-Reliance Connoisseur

Your day just wouldn‘t be complete without meeting Jim (Barb’s husband and coincidentally John‘s Dad). Jim started the first of the Sileo companies back in 1964 out of his garage (after deciding building rockets at Lockheed-Martin wasn’t his gig), long before John came along and destroyed the company so that he would have a moving signature story to share with your audience. Clients lucky enough to speak with Jim generally end up chatting more about travels to Italy, old-vine zinfandels and where in the world you come from than they do about business. Many clients book John purely because they love Jim and Barb. Seriously. Don‘t forget to ask Jim about the early 1900’s landmark building he‘s currently renovating (which is where we office - see pictures below), how dry he likes his macchiato or what has allowed he and Barb to be married more than half a century. Even if you don’t book John, it will be worth your time.

In 1964, Jim and Barb Sileo started Sileo Electronics out of their Denver garage. By the 1970’s they owned multiple locations and fixed most of the TVs, radios, tube amplifiers and turntables in Denver. In the 1980’s, Sileo Electronics morphed into Sileo Computers as one of the first vendors in Colorado to sell personal computers and commercial accounting software. Jim and Barb’s son, John, became a part of the business in 1997 and took a leadership position as Y2K was dawning and moved the company towards internet software and cloud computing. And then, in 2003, John’s identity was used by a company insider to electronically embezzle funds from several key software clients.

After more than two years of uncertainty, John’s name was cleared of all crimes and the actual criminal was sent to jail. Unfortunately, the trial, publicity and lack of attention paid to the business destroyed everything that the Sileo’s had built over four decades. Unwilling to let the family business die, John wrote his first book in 2005, Stolen Lives: Identity Theft Prevention Made Simple, and that led to The Sileo Group’s focus on cyber security, digital privacy and tech/life balance. Through it all, the family never stopped working together or caring about each other. John loves to share his experiences as an entrepreneur and wise victim from the stage.

In 1964, Jim and Barb Sileo started Sileo Electronics out of their Denver garage. By the 1970’s they owned multiple locations and fixed most of the TVs, radios, tube amplifiers and turntables in Denver. In the 1980’s, Sileo Electronics morphed into Sileo Computers as one of the first vendors in Colorado to sell personal computers and commercial accounting software. Jim and Barb’s son, John, became a part of the business in 1997 and took a leadership position as Y2K was dawning and moved the company towards internet software and cloud computing. And then, in 2003, John’s identity was used by a company insider to electronically embezzle funds from several key software clients.

After more than two years of uncertainty, John’s name was cleared of all crimes and the actual criminal was sent to jail. Unfortunately, the trial, publicity and lack of attention paid to the business destroyed everything that the Sileo’s had built over four decades. Unwilling to let the family business die, John wrote his first book in 2005, Stolen Lives: Identity Theft Prevention Made Simple, and that led to The Sileo Group’s focus on cyber security, digital privacy and tech/life balance. Through it all, the family never stopped working together or caring about each other. John loves to share his experiences as an entrepreneur and wise victim from the stage.

Inducted Into the National Speakers Hall of Fame

In one of the greatest honors of his professional life, John joined the ranks of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan and General Colin Powell in the CPAE National Speakers Hall of Fame®. This award honors professional speakers who have reached the top echelon of platform excellence. John is the only cyber security expert to be included in the Hall of Fame.

See the Speech

Inducted Into the National Speakers Hall of Fame

In one of the greatest honors of his professional life, John joined the ranks of former U.S. President Ronald Reagan and General Colin Powell in the CPAE National Speakers Hall of Fame®. This award honors professional speakers who have reached the top echelon of platform excellence. John is the only cyber security expert to be included in the Hall of Fame.

See the Speech