Edward John (Rodriguez) Liebig

I was saddled with a challenging start to life. My biological father was a Cuban immigrant that came over in the "Exodus of 1959". I was the youngest of three children, born Eduardo Juan Rodriguez, in Miami. Our father and our midwestern "child bride" mother parted ways shortly after my birth. My sister (the eldest) and I were loaded in the station wagon while our brother (firstborn male) went to El Salvador with our birth father. He eventually left our brother with our uncle, abandoned his second family, and went back to Cuba where he died in his 50s.

On our journey to our mother's birthplace in St. Louis, she befriended a man in Alabama and they ended up having a child too.  Fleeing during the middle of the night (the man my mother befriended was not the best human),  our mother drove my sister, me, and our half-sister north to try to make amends and live with her mother.

This was a time in our society when an 18-year-old with three children in tow from two men and yet another child "relinquished to be raised by the father was not socially acceptable. We were turned away and forced to live out of the car behind the Esquire Theatre on Clayton Road in St. Louis.  Our mother worked as a waitress at the Parkmore Restaurant where one day, she didn't return to the car after her shift.

We were all split up after being found by the authorities (my sister went into foster care as she was already 8 years old, I went to a toddler-oriented orphanage and our half-sister went to an infant care orphanage). I was luckily chosen by my loving adoptive parents John and JoAn (not a typo - pronounced Jo Ann) Liebig, my name was changed to Edward John Liebig, and I moved to Manchester, Missouri. That was the end of the nightmare and the beginning of the healing and a blessed upbringing.

I was that kid who would skip recess in 5th grade to play on the teletype that interfaced with the high school mainframe. Needless to say, my father was worried I was missing out on playing football and such. Serendipity led me to a career in IT and, ultimately, cybersecurity.

In the summer of 1979, before the PC's mass production, adoption, and proliferation, I had taken a summer job as a yard boy at a savings and loan. On my first day, as my new boss showed me the tool shed and lawnmowers, another employee ran out to exclaim that the electricians had gone on strike and asked if my boss knew anything about computer systems. Growing up enamored with technology and steeped in confidence, I quickly told my story of the teletype mainframe interface that stole my carefree childhood. I was elected to abandon my lawn care duties and join the team to pull cable and terminate RS232 connectors. This was the genesis of the pursuit of my destiny and an unquenchable thirst for technology.

After joining the Navy as a Data Processor (DP), I quickly rose through the ranks and achieved Senior Operator status. In the days before "mobile computing", I led Deployable Joint Task Force Augmentation Cells (DJTFAC) to support "in-theater" operations of the World Wide Military Command and Control System (WWMCCS) mainframe. This led me to return from missions with a new focus on lessons learned from the field and evaluating the rainbow series of security standards. Awarded three Navy Achievement Medals (NAM), Sailor of the Year (SOY) for PACOPSUPPFAC 1992 and nominated for SOY PACFLT, and armed with valuable lessons from in-theater operations, I was put on the WWMCCS Site Security Office (WSSO) staff, and thus started my cybersecurity career. 

​Decades later, cybersecurity threats grow daily. I am now proven and recognized as a thought leader in all aspects of IT Management, IT/OT Security and Cybersecurity, Policy, and privacy rights. From strategic planning through implementation, operations, maintenance, and incident response (deter, detect, respond, mitigate).  My focus is on business enablement and value, integrating technology, people, policy, and processes.

I offer a real-world, tuned, and super-charted understanding of the end-to-end, national, and international challenges in Cybersecurity, Information Technology (IT), as well as the nuances of the Operational Technology (OT) side of critical infrastructure. My proven record demonstrates excellence in incorporating corporate IT/OT and cybersecurity to achieve business value, risk mitigation, and strategic IT and OT roadmaps to enable secure and efficient order-to-cash, telematics, and logistics, with a comprehensive cybersecurity program.  

IT and cybersecurity, appropriately executed, are revenue-generating, not just overhead. Over the years, my accomplishments have resulted in millions of dollars added to companies’ profitability in Operational Expense efficiencies, cost avoidance, shrewd enterprise contract renegotiations, and effective business enablement, resulting in bottom-line revenue.  Most importantly, the prevention of damage, leveraging intelligence-driven Incident Response techniques to secure and enable brand reputation, the reduction of recovery times post-incident, and the support of regulatory compliance. I am comfortable in all aspects of corporate leadership and can comfortably navigate any challenge or situation.

Metrics drive results - I provide a laser focus on cybersecurity, IT, and OT policies, processes, and technological advancements that mitigate, remediate, eliminate, and manage threat metrics and risk profiles. I also provide exceptional leadership to enhance executive risk tolerance by designing and implementing comprehensive enterprise security programs. For example, I have created bowtie threat analysis tools to optimize the business culture balance between people, processes, and technology.

It is no longer good enough to see "what just happened." My programs glean insight into what will and what is most likely to happen. With the proliferation of would-be attackers such as Nation-State (APT) attackers, organized crime, purveyors of ransomware, and geopolitical/eco-terrorists/Anonymous attackers looming in the shadows of cyber-space, coupled with the public demanding legislature to enforce change, a world-class leader is necessary to guide organizations in protecting a company’s livelihood and customers while enabling IT solutions that solve business needs. 

I am the leader who balances risk tolerance with the burden of risk measurement/management and emerging threats/profiling/threat hunting while keeping up with regulatory and technology advancements and requirements.

I am poised and ready to deliver IT/OT leadership for your success. My references include highly respected thought leaders in IT/OT and security. I have a demonstrative career that has taken me through all aspects of IT and Information Security, as well as business leadership. I have worked with the largest Global 1000 clients and have proven myself proficient in all areas of information security from all sides of the equation. If your firm is ready for the world-class leadership necessary to meet the next-gen threat profiles, your search ends with me.

Thank you for visiting, and the journey continues

                                                               Respectfully,
                                                               Edward J. Liebig MScIT/IA, CISSP, CISM

Highly experienced transformational executive leader, well trained at establishing Cybersecurity programs, IT Operations, and threat metrics/risk profiles. Expert in strategizing IT and cybersecurity solutions from idea through implementation.

Skillful negotiator of multi-million-dollar contracts boosting productivity, infrastructure stability, organizational efficiency, and reducing OpEx and downtime.

Metrics-driven, proficient in pinpointing root causes in problem-solving. At ease with handling all aspects of IT/Security Budgetary Oversight - AML, GDPR, NIST, ISO, and CMMC Framework and Regulatory Compliance - Strategic Planning - DLP, SEIM, EDR - Leader of Penetration Testing/Forensic Analysis operations - IT/Security Consulting - IT Infrastructure Development - Team Mentorship - Revenue Generation - Leader of Program and Project Management Offices/Teams

I enjoy riding motorcycles through the Ozark Mountain foot hills and boating on the scenic Missouri Rivers.

I am proud of my Naval service and am a member of the Fleet Reserve Association (FRA) which looks after the seafaring service's rights and benefits.

My wife and I enjoy our three dogs and volunteer time to National Brittany Rescue and Adoption Network (NBRAN) to save unnecessary cruelty of "kill shelters".

I am a Master Mason and Shriner. I enjoy the philanthropic missions of both distinguished organizations.