Contact Us

David J. Hickton

Director University of Pittsburgh Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security; Former U.S. Attorney for Western Pennsylvania (2010-2016)

David Hickton is a former U.S. Attorney and current director of the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security. Hickton is also a dynamic speaker, who touches on subjects including cybersecurity and cyber threats, leadership and the virtues of servant leadership, building safer communities, enhancing community police trust, combating the national opioid epidemic, shaping the future and more. Known for his tireless and passionate advocacy, David speaks from the heart and displays an intrinsic understanding of a variety of topics.

Check Availability

Travels From: Pennsylvania | Fee Range: $20,000 - $25,000

Featured Videos

Speech Topics

Former US Attorney David Hickton, known for his cybercrime and cyber espionage indictments, takes the audience through two of his groundbreaking cyber prosecutions—and what they mean for the future. Now the founding director of Pitt Cyber, Hickton presents the inside story of his time as US Attorney prosecuting state-sponsored hackers and cybercriminals, from Chinese Army officers to Russia’s most notorious hacker. He will address the shifting threat landscape and how industry and government can be better prepared to prevent, respond, and recover from cyberattacks from his perspective on the front lines of enforcement.

Former US Attorney David Hickton saw the ravages of the opioid epidemic first hand in Pennsylvania. He co-chaired President Obama’s National Heroin Task Force and founded the US Attorney’s Working Group on Drug Overdoses and Addiction. Hickton presents a compelling overview of this critical public health crisis and its implications, while sharing potential opportunities for national, state, and local solutions. He presents a unique perspective as both a tireless law enforcement officer and passionate advocate for minimizing the stigma and criminalization of addiction and improving access to treatment.

Biography

David J. Hickton is the founding director of the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security. At Pitt, Mr. Hickton also has secondary faculty appointments as professor in the School of Law, the School of Computing and Information, and the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs. Prior to working at Pitt, he served as United States Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania. He was nominated by former President Barack Obama in 2010 and held the position until November 2016.

Hickton’s major fields of expertise include addressing cyber threats and combating the national heroin and opioid crisis. He is an advocate for cybersecurity vigilance, along with the development of new and innovative methods to defend the nation and combat cybercrime. During his tenure as U.S. Attorney, David had several high-profile indictments including five members of the Chinese military for economic espionage, and Russian hacker Evgeniy Bogachev, one of the most prominent cyber criminals in the world. David prosecuted groundbreaking cases including Darkode, the largest English-speaking cybercrime forum where information was bought, sold, traded and shared among cyber criminals. He also successfully brought community prosecutions against large-scale drug traffickers, and was part of dismantling the GameOver Zeus Botnet, a global network of infected victim computers that was designed to be “impossible” to take down.

Prior to becoming U.S. Attorney, Hickton engaged in the private practice of flaw, specifically in the areas of transportation, litigation, commercial and white-collar crime. He began his legal career serving as a law clerk for the Honorable U. S. District Judge Gustave Diamond from 1981 to 1983. For more than a decade, Hickton was an adjunct professor at the Duquesne University School of Law, where he taught antitrust.

A fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the Academy of Trial Lawyers of Allegheny County, Hickton has been admitted before numerous courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. At the request of President Bill Clinton, he previously served on the President’s Advisory Committee on the Arts for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Hickton has long been a staunch supporter of many civic organizations, including those that benefit children and the arts. He served as an executive board member and president of Pittsburgh Public Theater and was a member of the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust.

David is a dynamic speaker; his engagements touch on subjects including cybersecurity and cyber threats, leadership and the virtues of servant leadership, building safer communities, enhancing community police trust, combating the national opioid epidemic, shaping the future and more. Known for his tireless and passionate advocacy, David speaks from the heart and displays an intrinsic understanding of a variety of topics. David is an accomplished researcher in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) at the University of Pittsburgh.

"

Everything was buttoned up, from the initial outreach to the event execution and post follow-up. I have a great team of representatives from WWSG to work with, first class experience.

American Century Investments

"

Thanks again for all your help. Your entire team there is truly stellar.

American Property Casualty Insurance Association

"

I hope to work again and again with Worldwide Speakers Group on the selection of our keynote and endnote speakers for our annual conference and other events. Our representative and her associate were terrific from my first communication to them until our speaking-event concluded... It is easy to see why many of the top speakers in the country work with Worldwide Speakers Group.

The National Recreation and Park Association

"

We always enjoy working with WWSG, and we thank you and your team for your diligence, thoroughness, and professionalism. Planning is already underway for next year's event (no rest for the weary). We hope to have every opportunity to work with you again in the near future.

Texas American Resources Company

"

The team at WWSG is certainly at the top of the scale. Building a long-term relationship with the client has really set WWSG apart and we clearly saw that with our partnership. WWSG found creative ways to build the partnership which results in a win-win for all.

Erik Qualman, Top Technology and Motivational Speaker, #1 Bestselling Author & Futurist

"

The WWSG team are super responsive and flexible. I will definitely work with them again to find speakers for my next event.

Ernst & Young LLP

"

All timing and logistics were seamless, and the client was super engaged and thankful. I’m happy to report that we have another WIN for WWSG! Let’s build on the momentum together!

Josh Linkner, Tech Entrepreneur, Hyper-Growth CEO, NYT Best-Selling Author, Venture Capitalist, and Keynote Speaker

"

The consistent professionalism and quality for the way Worldwide Speakers Group handles events shows that they think of each detail and every contingency beforehand.

Newt Gingrich, Distinguished Leader, Visionary, & Political Vanguard; 2012 Republican Presidential Candidate; Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (1995-1999); Best-Selling Author

"

They provide us well-prepared and informed speakers who understand our expectations and unique format. With WWSG, we know that the speaker fees are fair and trust that the event will be a success.

The Distinguished Speaker Series of Southern California

"

“After 20 years in the lecture series business, WWSG has become a valued partner. We produce over 24 speaking events a year and have worked with dozens of agencies. We appreciate WWSG’s unparalleled professionalism, integrity, and creativity in suggesting speakers that are unique to the speaker circuit."

The Distinguished Speaker Series of Southern California

Check Availability

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Subscribe to the WWSG newsletter.

Check Availability

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

0
Speaker List
Share My List