Mike Higgins is a world-class expert in the protection of e-commerce and network systems, specializing in computer incident response and misuse detection. He was a Senior Manager with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) Center for Information Protection and served as Deputy Director for the Center for Information Systems Security for the Defense Information Systems Agency at the Department of Defense (DoD).

At SAIC, Mike helped develop a wide variety of information protection service offerings for U.S.-based and international banking, high-technology, and entertainment and media institutions. He managed three programs, called REACT, DETECT and PROTECT, which ensured operational continuity for business clients.

While at the DoD, Mike created their Automated Systems Security Incident Support Team (ASSIST), the most effective computer emergency response team in the U.S. federal government. He was also the developer of the Vulnerability Analysis and Assistance Program (VAAP), which proactively analyzed information systems for security vulnerabilities through focused penetration testing exercises.

Mike is a highly sought-after speaker on security issues. He holds a B.S. degree in criminal justice from Northeastern University and a M.S. degree in systems management from the University of Southern California.