Andrew Byrd

Andrew Byrd advises the NATO Military Committee on cybersecurity and defensive cyberspace policy and operations. Andrew brings multiple decades of experience across NATO, U.S. military, and interagency cyber domains as a driving force in the evolution of intelligence-led cyber defense. He was recognized for his leadership excellence during NATO’s Crisis Response Exercise and the European Defense Agency’s Cyber Phalanx Exercise.
As CTO for the U.S. Army Operations Center at the Pentagon, he initiated the implementation of Zero Trust and is part of the NATO Zero Trust writing team, contributing to the development of the NATO Zero Trust Implementation Plan.
As the former Chief of Operations at U.S. Army Cyber Command, he directed the planning and execution of advanced threat-hunting missions, enterprise cybersecurity, and policies that support national and allied defense objectives. A passionate advocate for intelligence-led cyber defense and civil-military collaboration, he addresses emerging geopolitical and technological threats. By blending deep operational expertise with a forward-looking view of the threat landscape, Andrew brings a mission-first perspective to topics such as AI-powered adversaries, supply chain compromise, and the evolving role of identity in digital warfare. He has also authored multiple NATO and U.S. cyberspace defense publications, including sections of the NATO Cyberspace Operational Concept and the U.S. Army’s Defensive Cyber Operations Concept. As a leader in enterprise risk management, Andrew has developed and operationalized cyber risk methodologies that align defensive investments with mission priorities and regulatory frameworks. He has championed the integration of adversary threat modeling, risk quantification (FAIR-based), and cyber wargaming to inform executive decision-making. His approach emphasizes resilience at every layer—from identity and access to supply chain assurance and policy enforcement.
Andrew holds an MBA and a Master’s in Cybersecurity from Baylor University and several certifications, including Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Certified Network Defense Architect (CNDA), Security+, Network+, A+, and ITIL.