Avant Technologies Inc. announced the appointment of Dr. Danny Rittman as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Dr. Rittman will implement an information security culture within Avant and develop and facilitate annual information security training at the corporate level. As the Company advances its products and technological footprint in the AI sector, he will lead Avant?s information security and technology risk management.

Dr. Rittman has over 18 years of experience in the field of cybersecurity, and he has held senior positions at companies such as GBT Technologies (GBT) and Alpha EDA. Dr. Rittman is an industry leader in planning, strategizing, and optimizing cybersecurity solutions for companies and organizations. He is a visionary who has translated evolving industry risks into ambitious technology roadmaps and the development of robust security programs. Dr. Rittman has led diverse cybersecurity teams in-house and globally to offer proactive defense solutions and to continue to sharpen the company?s ability and degree of readiness to mitigate vulnerabilities and threats from hackers.

Avant plans to develop new AI-based cybersecurity technologies that will help businesses and individuals to protect themselves from cyberattacks. Dr. Rittman joins Avant from GBT Technologies (GBT), where he serves as GBT?s Chief Technology Officer and has been a director since 2014. In his role at GBT, Dr. Rittman provides vision and leadership, which includes company-wide cybersecurity governance, structure, policies, processes, and metrics.

He has been responsible for creating strategic cybersecurity initiatives, advising the CEO on alignment with corporate business objectives, and guiding senior IT management on implementation. His role also includes evaluating and prioritizing cybersecurity measures based on GBT?s risk profile, cost, and capacity to implement changes. Dr. Rittman has led AI-based cybersecurity technology development for IoT, Big Data, Computer Vision and Networks, and led the cybersecurity team in designing and implementing ML-Based robust security measures to protect the company?s networks, systems, and data.

Before joining GBT, Dr. Rittman served as the Senior Cybersecurity Consultant for the Integrated Circuits (IC) Design Group at Alpha EDA, a developer of EDA software tools. At Alpha EDA, Dr. Rittman developed and implemented the overall information security strategy, policies, and procedures to protect the IC group?s data and assets from cyber threats. He led a team of cybersecurity experts and oversaw the management of security operations, incident responses, and vulnerability management.

Dr. Rittman was responsible for collaborating with cross-functional teams to identify security risks and provide strategic recommendations to mitigate potential threats. And he evaluated existing systems and provided recommendations on security infrastructures and upgrades. While at Alpha EDA, Dr. Rittman supervised information systems architecture access control and physical security, and he also facilitated continuous improvement of the Global Security Incident Response Team, and oversight of the Security Operations Center?s performance.

Prior to his instrumental role at Alpha EDA, Dr. Rittman was the Director of Information Security at Micrologic Design Automation. He led the security incident response process, including the ongoing monitoring of threats and vulnerabilities, and the response to major security events. He initiated forward-thinking security solutions for the cloud and network space and mitigated risk, while enabling the business to function properly.

Dr. Rittman deployed a risk-based approach to project consulting, focusing the team on solutioning security based on risk. He provided coaching and mentoring beyond his immediate team, and he maintained a current knowledge of established and emerging security solutions that would support the GSK security strategy. Dr. Rittman was responsible for overseeing training and development of partners directly and indirectly managed and made effective staffing decisions.

He provided guidance and training to information owners, and Dr. Rittman designed and implemented programs for user awareness, compliance monitoring, and security compliance. In addition to receiving his doctorate from LaSalle University, Dr. Rittman also recently completed a master?s degree in information and cybersecurity at University of California, Berkeley. The UC Berkeley Master of Information and Cybersecurity (MICS) program is a graduate-level accredited program that provides a comprehensive information and cybersecurity education.

It is offered by the School of Information (iSchool) in collaboration with the College of Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. The MICS program is designed to provide students with the technical and policy aspects of information and cybersecurity. It covers topics such as computer security, cryptography, network security, privacy, risk management, and cybercrime.

The program emphasizes a hands-on, project-based approach to learning and provides students with opportunities to work on real-world cybersecurity problems. Upon completion of the MICS program, students will have the cybersecurity skills and knowledge needed to assume leadership positions in private-sector technology companies and government and military organizations. Avant?s executive management truly believes in continuous education, particularly in the tech industry, and the management team understands that the only way to stay ahead of the curve in the fight against cybercrime is to invest in continuous education. By ensuring that its employees are up to date on the latest cybersecurity threats and best practices, Avant can help to protect its customers from harm.

Dr. Rittman will join Avant immediately and begin implementing critical solutions for the Company as it moves forward in the AI sector.