Ashley Ferguson is President & Managing Member of Cyber Investigations & Intelligence Agency (CI2A), creators of the world’s first comprehensive CyberVIP® Protection Framework. Ashley brings almost two decades of risk management, compliance, privacy, and security experience to CI2A across the fields of information technology, oil and gas, utilities, financial services, healthcare, retail, legal and entertainment. Ashley utilizes her unique multi- industry combination of risk management, compliance, security, privacy, and business resilience experience to help her peers and clients to build effective and risk appropriate security programs that result in compliance, but are not driven by compliance. Ashley has helped numerous clients to not only create effective programs, but also learn how to effectively communicate with their Board of Directors, gain the support of their executive peers, build confidence within their teams, and reduce both their organizational and individual cybercrime exposure.

Prior to CI2A, Ashley was the Global Director of Advisory Services including the Executive Advisory, Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) and the Security Architecture & Design (SDA) practices at Dell SecureWorks. In this role, Ashley was responsible for the strategic direction, vision, and alignment of these practices globally and the founder of the Executive Advisory Center, Advisory CISO and Executive & Board Advisory service portfolios.

Prior to Dell SecureWorks, Ashley spent almost six years leading the IT Risk Management and Security program at Energen Corporation. In this role, Ashley was responsible for all IT Security, Access Provisioning, Change Management, Quality Assurance, Data Loss Prevention, Data Privacy, Business Continuity, Risk Management and Compliance for Energen Corporation and all subsidiaries. While at Energen, Ashley served as a part of the American Gas Association’s Cybersecurity Strategy Force, assisting the Department of Energy in the development of the NIST Cybersecurity Implementation Guidance for the Energy Sector. Prior to Energen, Ashley was the Vice President and Manager of Business Continuity at BBVA Compass and an IT auditor and controls specialist for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP and Ernst & Young, LLP.

Ashley received her Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from the University of Alabama Culverhouse School of Accountancy and a Master’s in Business Administration from Tennessee Technological University with a concentration in Management Information Systems. Ashley is a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) and a Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE).

Ashley has been an avid speaker and contributor to the Evanta executive programs across multiple regions, including serving as Co-Chair of the Evanta Charlotte CXO Summits, past Governing Body Member for the Evanta Atlanta CISO Summits and as a CISO contributor to the Professional Development Academy. Ashley has also served as a past judge and co-Master of Ceremonies for the Information Security Executive (ISE) Southeast Awards, speaker at Dell EMC World, RSA, Goldman Sachs CTO Conferences, the feature speaker in the Security in the Boardroom Webcast series, and keynote speaker at the 2019 Global Cyber FinTech Conference.

Ashley serves on numerous industry and non-profit boards and is currently Chairman of the Board of the University of Alabama Culverhouse Cyber Executive Board of Advisors, Chairman of the SCS Education Foundation Board and Past Chairman of the Board of the American Red Cross Mid Alabama Region. Ashley was the 2013 Information Security Executive (ISE) Southeast People’s Choice Winner, a top eight finalist for the 2013 Southeast Executive of the Year, a nominee for 2013 Information Security Executive North America Executive of the Year and a finalist for the 2020 ATP Startup Disruptor Award. Ashley has been featured in various publications, including the October 2015 issue of the ISSA Journal’s Women in Security.