About the Speaker
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    Melissa Van Buhler
    Cybersecurity & Data Privacy Attorney, Focal Law

    Melissa’s legal practice focuses on cybersecurity, privacy, and regulatory compliance. Her key strength is helping organizations achieve cyber resiliency through legal and regulatory compliance.

    Before joining Newman Du Wors in 2018, she served more than 15 years as a Judge Advocate General officer in the United States Army where she supported top-secret operations at the National Security Agency (NSA), United States Cyber Command, and United States Army Special Operations Command. During her tenure, Melissa gained unique insights into worldwide vulnerabilities to cyberattacks and helped develop best practices to combat them. She advised on the complex lifecycle of intelligence data collection from origination, use and sharing within and among intelligence agencies. Her data privacy expertise grew from advising on federal rules and regulations surrounding the robust oversight of intelligence activities, particularly in the complex world of signals intelligence.

    Melissa earned a master of laws in Information Technology & Intellectual Property from University of Colorado, Boulder in between assignments with intelligence organizations. She is also a combat veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom having served one year with the 4th Infantry Division in Taji, Iraq, from 2005-2006.