Don Freese appointed chief information security officer at Digital Realty

Image courtesy of Digital Realty and Don Freese

Don Freese has joined Digital Realty, provider of cloud- and carrier-neutral data center, colocation and interconnection solutions, as Chief Information Security Officer. Mr. Freese, who previously served as a Senior Executive with the FBI and a cybersecurity leader at PwC, brings more than 30 years of leadership experience advising large corporations and the highest ranks of the U.S. government on cybersecurity, cyber operations and IT risk management. He reports to Executive Vice President, Operations Erich Sanchack and is responsible for overseeing Digital Realty’s company-wide information security technology and programs and managing risks related to confidentiality, integrity and availability of systems and data.

“We’re thrilled to welcome someone of Don’s high caliber to the team...,” said Mr. Sanchack. “Don’s remarkable track record of public service in providing strategic and operational leadership for full-spectrum cybersecurity programs gives him unrivaled insights into the threat landscape and cutting-edge technologies and strategies to combat those threats. With Don’s leadership, we will continue to strengthen our advanced security and data privacy capabilities to ensure a secure environment for our global customer base.”

Mr. Freese commented, “I look forward to working with the entire Digital Realty team to build a global cloud community that is anchored by the gravitational pull of this secure foundation, and can safely capitalize on the many growth opportunities ahead.”

Mr. Freese was most recently Cybersecurity and Privacy Principal for PwC, leading the firm’s Network Security Services practice for North America, where he pioneered the concept of Zero Trust Strategy in security and led the industry in adopting provably secure digital architectures. Prior to that, he spent 30 years in government service in a variety of defense and intelligence roles at the FBI, including Senior Executive and Special Agent in Intelligence and Cyber Operations.

During his FBI tenure, Mr. Freese handled national security cyber breaches, directed response teams and global network operations, and advised the nation’s highest officials, including the White House National Security Council, on proactive strategies, intelligence and policies for defending against cyber-attacks. He received a Master of Science in Business Continuity, Security and Risk Management from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Administration from California State University – Fullerton. He also holds Graduate Certificates for Leadership in Counter-Terrorism from University of St. Andrews and Cybersecurity Strategy from Georgetown University.

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In today's rapidly evolving security landscape, organizations face an ever-growing array of disruptive events, security threats and risks. Traditional reactive approaches to security intelligence often leave businesses vulnerable and ill-prepared to anticipate and mitigate emerging threats that could impact the safety of their people, facilities or operations.