Conor is the Managing Director of Waystone’s Cyber Security and Data Protection Solutions, based in Dublin. He is a highly experienced cybersecurity professional with over 35 years of expertise in cybersecurity strategy, governance, risk management, and compliance. He is widely recognised for his independent approach to cybersecurity, free from vendor influence, making him a trusted advisor to government bodies, financial institutions, and critical national infrastructure organisations.
At Waystone, Conor leads our Cyber Security Solutions, where our team of experts focus on information security and data protection to help companies understand their regulatory compliance obligations, manage existing regulations and assist them with preparing for any impending regulations, all across multiple jurisdictions. Conor is currently serving as the Information Security Officer/Advisor for multiple high-profile organisations across both public and private sectors, including Irish government departments and global financial services organisations.
Conor started his career in Allied Irish Bank (AIB) in Information Technology in the areas of local and wide area network design, electronic money transfer system technology design and implementation, new branch banking platform and network security. Following this role, Conor co-founded Rits Information Security, an independent information security consulting company and grew that business over an almost 20 year period. He then established his own firm, Information Security Assurance Services Ltd (ISAS) in 2011 which was acquired by Waystone in April 2021.
Since the acquisition, Conor continued to grow the information security, data protection and artificial intelligence governance services for Waystone’s. He also operated as CISO for Waystone for several years while continuing to manage the Cyber Security Solutions practice and deliver information security consulting services to clients. Having established the Information Security function within Waystone, Conor worked with senior leadership team to recruit a full time CISO.
Conor is a regular contributor to national print, radio, and television media, providing expert analysis on cyber threats, regulatory developments, and security best practices. He has been selected by key public sector and regulatory bodies for his strategic cybersecurity leadership, including serving for two full terms on the Department of Agriculture Audit Committee at the invitation of the Minister.
