Ben Hanson

Ben Hanson creates clarity for the most critically important organisations on the planet. As a Senior Security Strategist and Advisor at Microsoft, he partners with the CSOs and other security leaders at the world’s largest Financial Services institutions, guiding them through the complex interplay between business and security objectives, risk, technology, and cultural transformation. He is a disarmingly transparent, funny, and warm storyteller who challenges the hidden assumptions and biases that inhibit evolution and effectiveness in cybersecurity (and beyond).

He is also a recognised expert in a broad range of security, identity, and cloud technologies. This expertise, combined with his strategy and transformation acumen, makes him a compelling and sought-after thought leader and speaker (SANS, Cloud Security Alliance, British Computing Society, Chartered Institute of Information Security, InfoSec, Recorded Future, Microsoft, and many others). He is able to connect with audiences at every level, from the boardroom to the server room.

A 25-year industry veteran, Ben’s insights are experiential, not conceptual. He works daily in the trenches with engineers and executives alike, advising leaders in diverse and complex organisations such as HSBC, Barclays, Santander, Lloyds Banking Group, Bank of England, London Stock Exchange, NatWest Group, Elavon, US Bank, GSK, Legal and General, National Grid, and Maersk.

Ben is unapologetically business-centric in his approach to security, and a strong advocate for the cultural and people dynamics of security and change, in addition to the transformational role of technology. At Microsoft he works most often with the security and transformation leaders at the largest global systemic banks and financial services organisations.