John Wilson
John Wilson has been combating email-based fraud since 2006, when he developed an authentication-based anti-phishing solution as CTO of Brandmail Solutions. John continued his mission to rid the world of email fraud at Agari, a venture-backed startup that helped to develop the DMARC standard. As part of the Agari Cyber Intelligence Division (ACID) team, a counterintelligence research group dedicated to business email compromise (BEC) investigation and cybercrime abatement, John assisted Microsoft and the FS-ISAC with the B54 Citadel botnet takedown by providing data related to Citadel botnet infections and by acting as a declarant in the civil forfeiture action filed in US District Court.
Agari was acquired by Fortra in June 2021. In his current role, John continues to research email scams and conduct experiments in "active defense". In early 2023, John again worked with Microsoft, this time on a takedown effort aimed at curbing the illegal use of Fortra’s Cobalt Strike adversary simulation solution.
John holds a B.S. in Computer Science and Engineering from MIT. He has spoken at a variety of security conferences including RSA, FS-ISAC, Aviation ISAC, NCFTA Disruption, and the Microsoft Digital Crimes Consortium.
