The C Spire Business 2019 Bytes & Bites Technology Solution Summit on Thursday, April 18 will feature Theresa Payton, the first female to serve as White House CIO under former President George W. Bush, as the event’s featured speaker along with panel discussions. 

A national cybersecurity expert, Payton will cover a variety of topics in her “Hype or Reality? Your Workplace and Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, AI, Machine Learning and the IoT” talk set. 

Named by Security Magazine as one of the top 25 most influential people in security, Payton is one of America’s leading authorities on security and intelligence operations. As White House CIO, she oversaw IT operations for Bush and his staff from 2006 to 2008 during a period of fast-paced technological change and escalating cyber threats.

Cybersecurity is a growing concern with experts predicting that various forms of cybercrime, including damage and destruction of data, stolen money, lost productivity, theft of intellectual property, theft of personal and financial data, embezzlement and fraud, will cost businesses worldwide $6 trillion annually by 2021, up from $3 trillion in 2015.

Payton, who has also held executive roles in banking technology at Bank of America and Wells Fargo, is expected to share insights on how businesses can harness technology to achieve goals while incorporating safeguards to protect enterprises from cyber criminals.