Accenture has announced that Howard Marshall will be joining the company as the new intelligence director for its cyber threat intelligence services.
Marshall, who joins Accenture from 20 years with the FBI, will lead Accenture’s iDefense threat intelligence operations. He will be managing a team of cybersecurity specialists tasked with researching and analysing threat actors, industry-specific threats, new malware variants, software vulnerabilities, and emerging targeted cyberattacks.
In an era of escalating cyber threats, timely and relevant intelligence is not just important for preventing breaches, but it is an essential tool in all stages of an organization’s security life-cycle.
– Howard Marshall, Global Intelligence Lead for Cyber Threat Intelligence Services, Accenture Security
His most recent role was as Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, leading the Readiness, Outreach, and Intelligence Branch. His duties in this role involved supporting the division in identifying, tracking and bringing down “cyber adversaries” targeting the US’s global interests. A major aspect of this role was overseeing strategic partnerships and intelligence co-ordination – experience which will no doubt be extremely valuable in his new position.
“As cybercrime becomes more organized, profit-driven and transnational, organizations must move quickly to stay ahead of evolving threats. From protecting financial assets to safeguarding customers’ personally identifiable information, a proactive cyber defense requires timely, actionable and reliable threat intelligence,” said Kelly Bissell, senior managing director of Accenture Security.
“Howard Marshall is a well-respected cybersecurity practitioner and dynamic leader who has spent decades investigating cybercrime,” Bissell added. “His real-world experience and understanding of the cyber threat landscape are a tremendous resource to help our clients understand cyber risks before they hit.”
As cybercrime becomes more organized, profit-driven and transnational, organizations must move quickly to stay ahead of evolving threats.
– Kelly Bissell, Senior Managing Director, Accenture Security
Marshall’s other previous roles include Special Agent in Charge for the Louisville field office, an Inspector with FBI Headquarters’ Inspection Division, Supervisory Special Agent for the Cyber Division at the FBI headquarters, and several other leadership positions.
“When it comes to detecting, defending, and deterring cyberattacks there is no longer a delineation between inside and outside the network. In an era of escalating cyber threats, timely and relevant intelligence is not just important for preventing breaches, but it is an essential tool in all stages of an organization’s security life-cycle,” said Howard Marshall. “It was a privilege and an honor to serve alongside my colleagues at the FBI, and I am now looking forward to leveraging my deep experience to help Accenture’s clients secure their high-value assets from advanced cyber threats.”
Accenture has been expanding its cybersecurity team significantly of late, including the recent appointment of Dr. Anup Ghosh.
Marshall will be the newest member of a cadre of former US government cybersecurity leaders at Accenture. Other noteworthy members include former Director of Operations for US Cyber Command Major General George Franz, former US Army senior intelligence officer Lieutenant General Mary A. Legere, and former CIA CTO Gus Hunt.
