Neal O'Farrell has spent nearly four decades in global security and privacy. In the 1980s he led pioneering work in the field of advanced speech and data encryption, and while still in his twenties won the first contract to encrypt Ireland's entire national ATM network.

His non-profit Identity Theft Council was the recipient of SC Magazine's 2011 Editor's Choice award, and in 2015 Neal was the first recipient of the Eigen Award, presented by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. He is a member of the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education K-12 Working Group, the Ohio Cyber Collaboration Committee Workforce Development Subcommittee, and a former member of the Federal Communications Commission's Cybersecurity Roundtable.

When not teaching and speaking about the importance of developing trust strategies before the next data breach, he focuses on helping foster youth pursue studies and careers in cybersecurity.