About the IAPP

Debra J. Farber is a data privacy and information security executive and entrepreneur, with 15 years of strategy, operations, public policy, training, and compliance experience across industries and regulatory regimes. Currently, Debra wears multiple hats: she serves as VP of Business Development for NotSoSecure, Inc., a boutique security firm that specializes in pentesting (web app, mobile app, and infrastructure) and live hacker training classes (“The Art of Hacking,” “AppSec for Developers,” “IoT Hacking,” etc.). In addition, she is the Founding CEO of a stealth privacy startup focused on small and medium-sized businesses. However, one of her proudest accomplishments to date is the founding of Women in Security and Privacy (WISP), a nonprofit project that promotes the development, advancement, and inclusion of women in our fields. 

 

For years, Debra has held executive privacy and security adviser roles for several distinguished organizations. For instance, she currently serves on the Advisory Board to privacy startup BigID; on the 2017-2019 CIPT Exam Development Advisory Board for the IAPP; on the EWF Voice Privacy Alliance's Consumer Awareness Working Group; as Executive Faculty at IANS; and on the 2016 World Economic Forum's Advancing Cyber Resilience Working Group. Debra has led key privacy and security initiatives for Visa, IBM, Promontory, American Express, TRUSTe, The Advisory Board Company, Farber Strategies, Numera, and their clients. She advises product and development teams on how to build secure global cloud, web, and mobile products that protect user privacy.

 

Debra is also an accomplished author. She is currently writing a short-form book for O'Reilly Media called "Going Pro: Getting Started in Information Security." Besides some posts to her personal blog, she writes occasional articles for major privacy, security, and news publications. Debra holds a BA in English from Binghamton University and a JD from Brooklyn Law School. She is currently pursuing a Certificate of Business Excellence from the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business.