CTA is excited to welcome Jason Cooper to our team as our new Chief Data Sharing Officer. Here we introduce Jason in his own words.
Can you tell us about your previous roles and responsibilities?
I started my career at Microsoft, fighting online crime before most of us understood what it would become. In my first role I built their first digital anti-piracy programs at a time when piracy just meant counterfeiting discs. This was at the dawn of Napster and P2P file sharing. In 2005 I became one of the founding members of what became known as the Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit (DCU). I went onto many other security focused roles in my 20+ years at Microsoft, across many domains, including threat and vuln management, security incident response, and applied cryptography. I spent 4 years at Salesforce managing security focused engineering teams, and more recently, I had a short stint at JP Morgan Chase as Executive Director of Crypto Controls Security.
What are some of the key achievements in your career so far?
I would say the biggest achievement has been working across a wide variety of cybersecurity domains, while learning from, partnering with, and leading interesting people from all over the world. Being a bit more specific, I feel that my early DCU collaborations with law enforcement agencies around the world, and the actual impact of that work, has been among my biggest achievements. I also led an initiative to turn Microsoft’s PKI into a publicly trusted Certification Authority, greatly increasing the security of their products by moving those operations to an industry leading, audited and verified standard.
Which past projects or initiatives are you most proud of?
While part of the DCU I established a free support program and built/delivered training curriculum that provided technical assistance to law enforcement agencies investigating crimes against children. This grew into an annual law enforcement conference and additional offerings that greatly bolstered the efforts to partner across industry and government against malicious actors.
How has your previous experience prepared you for your new role here?
In addition to working across so many security disciplines, organizational levels, and roles, I believe my experiences have taught me to always look for the “big picture.” They also taught me that every problem has a solution and that embracing a learner’s mindset is the key to solving them.
What attracted you to CTA?
The fundamental mission of CTA appeals to me in many ways. First, I am a strong believer in doing the right thing. Second, I learned through many years of working in cyber security, that partnership is the key element in the battle against cybercrime. Also, I have worked for many years in large multi-national companies, so the ability to be part of a smaller, highly focused organization appeals to me.
How do you see your role contributing to our company’s goals?
I have a lot to learn, but I see myself playing a major role in bringing more value to our members.
What do you hope to achieve in your first year with CTA?
In year one I hope to learn a lot from our team and our members, but I also hope to make traction towards our goals to bolster our community and the value our members both contribute and derive from it. I’m hoping to establish strong working relationships within our community as well.
Can you share a bit about your background and where you grew up?
I’m a native of the Northwest United States, having grown up in Oregon and Washington. I have moved around a few times but always wanted to return due to the natural beauty and abundant activities available in the Seattle area (where I live today).
What are some of your hobbies or interests outside of work?
I’m one of those people who could never be bored as I am interested in so many things. Recently I have been doing several remodeling projects on weekends, and I enjoy spending time with my wife and two sons. I like hiking and cycling around when I can, and I am an avid reader.
What’s one fun fact about you that people might not know?
I spent a semester in Mexico while in college and ended up as a part-time runway fashion model while living there.
What motivates you in your professional and personal life?
Following my interests and being passionate about what I do, while being as authentically “me” as possible. I have always looked to make my personal and professional life a collection of interesting experiences and people. If I feel I am achieving that, I feel motivated.
Who has been a significant influence in your career and why?
I have worked with and learned from some amazing people over the years, but I will say my grandparents have been the most significant influence. They really helped me believe in myself through their “eye on the prize” approach to life.
What advice would you give to someone aspiring to reach a high-level executive position?
Make sure you can spend time on things that you are passionate about. Don’t focus on titles or status as much as doing things that make you feel fulfilled. Set your goals, do your homework, and never stop embracing a growth mindset, regardless of how much you achieve.