Mara is a Washington DC-based ICT security policy expert. Mara regularly serves as a private sector advisor to government entities on information security issues, focussing on the technical and strategic implications of regulatory and policy activity. Prior to her current roles, she was the Director of Government Affairs for HackerOne, a vulnerability coordination and disclosure platform.
Mara’s background includes advanced degrees in cultural identity studies and modern history, as well as work in international security, counterinsurgency, and arms control. Her speaking and keynote credits include DEF CON, ShmooCon, TROOPERS Conference, Security BSides Las Vegas, Security BSides Portland, The Atlantic Council, the Federal Communications Bar Association, and an alphabet soup of think tanks. She is a proud contributor to FIRST Org’s VRDX and Malware Analysis SIGs, two-time BlackHoodie reverse-engineering alumna, and recently-minted BlackHoodie trainer.
