Greg van der Gaast

Greg van der Gaast began his career in a way few professionals ever could. As a teenager, he famously hacked into a nuclear weapons facility, earning global notoriety as one of the world’s top five most infamous hackers. This extraordinary beginning led to him being recruited by the US Department of Defence and the FBI, where he worked undercover to help law enforcement understand and dismantle hacker networks. It was here that Greg developed a deep understanding of human behaviour, motivation and the flaws in both systems and processes – lessons that now underpin his work in artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

Over the following decades, Greg built a respected corporate career, holding senior roles including Chief Technologist of Security for CDW UK, Head of Security Architecture at CGI, Associate CISO for the Francis North Group, and Information Security Lead at the University of Salford. He also founded Method-One Consulting Services and later Creative Minds Consulting Group, helping international clients develop strategic, scalable, and people-centric approaches to security. His philosophy challenges the industry’s fixation on tools and defences, focusing instead on how organisations can achieve lasting protection by improving quality, leadership, and culture.

Greg is the best-selling author of ‘Rethinking InfoSec’ and ‘What We Call Security’, two books that have reshaped how businesses and security professionals think about risk. His work argues that security is not simply a technological challenge but a human and organisational one, increasingly influenced by artificial intelligence. Greg has become one of the leading voices on how AI is transforming both threat and defence landscapes – from automation in cyberattacks to ethical governance and trust in AI-driven systems. His insights are valued by executives and engineers alike for their clarity, humour, and practicality.

Today, Greg serves as Security Advisor to the Office of the CTO at CDW UK, where he helps organisations integrate human-centric security strategies that enhance performance, reduce risk, and adapt to AI-powered disruption. As a keynote speaker, he is known for his engaging storytelling, thought-provoking insights, and powerful takeaways. Whether addressing a room of data scientists, a C-suite audience, or a global tech summit, Greg brings authenticity, technical expertise, and vision – challenging audiences to rethink security for the age of artificial intelligence.