Corelight, the fastest growing leader of network detection and response (NDR) solutions, welcomed retired Major General Ed Wilson and former ANZ Bank CISO Lynwen Connick as strategic advisors. Both Wilson and Connick bring decades of high-level government and private sector expertise in cybersecurity, intelligence, and risk management. Their insights will be instrumental in guiding Corelight’s strategy and enhancing its ability to help organizations defend against sophisticated cyber threats.
The addition of these distinguished leaders underscores Corelight’s commitment to aligning its security solutions with the complex challenges faced by modern enterprises and government agencies. Their extensive experience in both offensive and defensive cyber operations will provide invaluable perspective as Corelight continues to innovate and expand its open NDR platform, built on the power of Zeek®.
“To effectively defend against modern threats, security leaders need deep, evidence-based visibility into their network activity,” said Brian Dye, Corelight CEO. “Ed and Lynwen have spent their careers on the front lines of national and enterprise security. Their unparalleled understanding of the threat landscape and the operational needs of security teams will be a tremendous asset to Corelight and, by extension, to our customers as we work to make the world’s networks safer.”
Wilson’s career includes more than three decades in the U.S. Air Force, culminating in key leadership roles in cyber, space, and intelligence operations and capability development. He also served as the deputy assistant secretary of defense for cyber policy, where he led the drafting of the milestone 2018 Department of Defense Cyber Strategy and first-ever Cyber Posture Review submitted to Congress. He achieved historic success in reframing the nation’s policy and strategy for how offensive and defensive cyber operations are employed globally—frameworks that remain in use today.
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After nearly four decades of government service, Wilson retired in 2019 and founded Pinnacle Strategic Consulting, LLC, focused on consulting and board service in areas related to cyber, space and intelligence, as well as numerous non-profit activities. Wilson graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy with a B.S. in electrical engineering, earned an M.S. in computer engineering from Northeastern University, and an M.A. in airpower art and science from the Air Force’s School of Advanced Airpower Studies.
“Modern adversaries—whether criminal organizations or nation-state actors—are constantly probing for weaknesses and developing new techniques to evade detection,” said Wilson. “Organizations need security solutions that provide not just perimeter defense but deep visibility into what’s actually happening across their networks and cloud environments. Corelight’s approach to transforming network and cloud activity into actionable evidence gives security teams the foundation they need to detect, investigate and respond to threats effectively.”
Connick has more than 40 years of experience in IT and cybersecurity, having served as the global chief information security officer for ANZ Banking Group and holding several senior roles at the Australian Signals Directorate, including leading its national cybersecurity mission. As global CISO for ANZ Banking Group, Connick drove the enterprise cyber and information security strategy and reformed the group’s cyber defenses to enable secure digital transformation in an increasingly complex threat landscape. Her areas of focus included a sophisticated 24/7 in-house security operations centre, threat intelligence, dedicated enterprise security metrics, and the integrated delivery of new security capabilities using agile methods, artificial intelligence and machine learning to keep pace with rapidly evolving cyber threats.
Connick worked for 27 years at the Australian Signals Directorate, where her most recent appointment was as deputy director and first assistant secretary responsible for Capability. She also served as CIO for the three defence intelligence agencies and ran the Australian Signals Directorate’s Cyber Security mission for six years, responsible for setting security standards, advising government departments and other organizations on cyber security and testing their capabilities. A highlight in Connick’s career was being asked to join Australia’s Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to advise the Prime Minister on Cyber Security and Intelligence, lead a review of Australia’s Cyber Security and deliver its first National Cyber Security Strategy. The groundbreaking strategy was very well received and drove significant advances in Australia’s Cyber Security.
“Network visibility is fundamental to effective cyber defense, whether you’re protecting a major financial institution serving millions of customers or critical government infrastructure,” said Connick. “Corelight provides the deep, continuous network and cloud activity insights that security teams need to proactively hunt for threats, understand the full scope of incidents, and maintain the defensive posture necessary in today’s environment where adversaries are becoming increasingly sophisticated and persistent.”
Wilson and Connick join a prestigious group of existing Corelight advisors, including former European Commission executive Freddy Dezeure, former NSA cybersecurity director Rob Joyce, and former chief of the NATO Cyber Security Centre Ian West, former American Express executive vice president and CISO Gabrielle Vitale, and former J.P. Morgan Chase CISO Dr. Greg Rattray.
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