Profile
Davi Ottenheimer, VP of Trust and Digital Ethics at Inrupt, is at the forefront of AI innovations with the Solid project, founded by World Wide Web creator Tim Berners-Lee, aimed at "course-correcting the Web" by giving users control over their data. Davi's career in security spans three decades at industry giants - from protecting two billion users at Yahoo! during the mobile phone revolution, to pioneering regulated software security at MongoDB and establishing its first CISO. In 2006, Davi foresaw the future of IoT security, patenting the "PIN login" for devices, and he helped lead app-level key management standards. A decade later he delivered field-level encryption for NoSQL databases.
As President of flyingpenguin LLC, Davi provides risk mitigation across sectors like high-tech, public sector, and aerospace. He also advises Accenture and Anjuna Security, shaping the future of generative AI and confidential computing. His insights are featured in The New York Times, The Atlantic, and Wired. A recognized expert in cloud and AI security, Davi's book Securing the Virtual Environment is a foundational text in cloud computing safety, and his upcoming work tackles big data and AI security.
Throughout his career, Davi has emphasized the intersection of technology, ethics, and human behavior. His background in International History from the London School of Economics gives him a broad perspective on these challenges. A sought-after speaker, Davi continues to shape discussions around ethical AI, data sovereignty, and digital trust.
Expertise
- Cloud Security
- Big Data
- Artificial Intelligence
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- Digital Ethics
Qualifications
Achievements & Contributions
- Expert in Open Distributed Compute Standards: Renowned for pioneering security advancements in TCP/IP, Linux, EKMI, HTTPS, and Solid, promoting best practices that helped shape industry standards
- Influential Speaker and Educator: Co-author of "Securing the Virtual Environment: How to Defend the Enterprise Against Attack" (2012) and a sought-after speaker on the intersections of security, ethics, history, and technology
- Pioneer in Product Security and Enterprise Infrastructure Operations: Key contributor to financial industry security initiatives at Marshall & Ilsley and Barclays Global Investors, with significant roles in international retail and wholesale security at West Marine. Initiated the "Head of Trust" role at EMC after leading security innovation for VMware's vCloud team. Provided vital support for security initiatives across high-tech, higher education, healthcare, and aerospace sectors at institutions such as the University of Iowa, University of California Santa Cruz, and the University Advanced Research Center at NASA
- Advocate for Human Rights in Technology: Founded the RSA Conference Excellence in Humanitarian Service Award, recognizing individuals and organizations that integrate technology with humanitarian efforts
- Authority in Regulations and Compliance: Formerly a qualified Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard (DSS) and Payment Application (PA-DSS) Qualified Security Assessor (QSA and PA-QSA) with K3DES. Actively served as a Board Member for the PCI Security Alliance and the Silicon Valley chapters of ISACA and OWASP
Certifications & Credentials
- MSc, International History –The London School of Economics and Political Science
- BA, Philosophy & Political Science –Macalester College
- CISSP – (ISC)2
- CISM – ISACA
- PA-QSA, QSA – PCI SSC