Camille Stewart is an American technology and cybersecurity attorney, public speaker, and entrepreneur. She served as the Senior Policy advisor for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under the Obama administration from 2015 to 2017 under the Barack Obama administration. She also served as the Head of Product Security Strategy Google after serving as the Lead for Security Policy & Election Integrity, Google Play & Android at Google.
Early life and education
With her father being a computer scientist, she became interested and pulled towards the knowledge of technology. She also had a strong passion for law as a child and knew she would become a lawyer. In fact, Camille began her career early by having her parents sign contracts when they would make promises.[1][2] She graduated from Miami University with a Bachelor of Science degree in business,[3] and later attended American University Washington College of Law to earn her Juris Doctor degree. In 2020 she was selected to be a part of the Harvard Kennedy School Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs Cybersecurity Fellowship.[4]
Career and professional life
While in law school, she studied intellectual property protection, theft, and abuse online. Upon graduating, she worked for Cyveillance, a cyber threat intelligence company.[5] Camille also spent time on Capitol Hill as a Legal Fellow for Representative. Marcia Fudge and Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II Congressional Black Caucus.[citation needed]
In 2015 she appointed by the Obama administration as the Senior Policy advisor for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Her experience in that role empowered her to work towards advancing former president Barack Obama's cybersecurity vision,[6][7] especially with respect to methods used by Chinese companies to acquire American assets without review by Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States.[8]
In 2021, Stewart was the lead for security policy for Google Play & Android.[9][10] She co-founded #ShareTheMicInCyber which aims to focus on the role of Black people in cybersecurity.[11][12] A 2020 op-ed piece on CNN[13] by Stewart and Michèle Flournoy was cited by the New York Times[14] in an article citing the need for a more diverse set of views in venues ranging from board rooms to national security. According to Politico, Stewart joined New America as a fellow in 2022.[15][16] Stewart also works with the public to increase awareness about cybersecurity[17] and the need for increased diversity in the field,[18][19] and tools people can use to avoid computer scams.[20][21]
Stewart is the founder of the legal consultancy and startup incubator, MarqueLaw, PLLC, and TheDigitalCounselor.com blog which develops and promotes forward-thinking solutions and leaders in cybersecurity.[22][23] She currently serves on the board of directors for the International Foundation for Electoral Systems.[24]
Honors and awards
In 2016, she received the Leadership Awards Rising Star award from Women in Technology.[25] In 2019 she was named woman of the year in the 'barrier breaker' category of the Cyber Security Women awards,[26] and was honored by New America and The Diversity in National Security Network for her contributions to national security and foreign policy.[2] In 2021, The Root magazine named her one of the 100 most influential African Americans of 2021.[27][28]
^Araya, Kibkabe (July 1, 2021). "Black Cyber Lawyers See Racial Diversity as Key to Data Safety". Bloomberg Law. Attorney Camille Stewart co-founded #ShareTheMicInCyber, a nonprofit initiative elevating Black cybersecurity professionals and tackling racism and sexism in the field, as the anti-racism movement gained momentum last summer. Even as the Covid-19 pandemic raged, Stewart, the global head of product security strategy at Google LLC, felt a sense of urgency to begin organizing diversity and inclusion efforts in the cyber industry. So far that initiative, stemming from social media, has spurred at least six lawyers to work at drawing a more diverse workforce to the field. Her efforts have taken on new importance as the rash of recent cyberattacks on companies like SolarWinds Inc., Colonial Pipeline Inc., and JBS S.A. highlight the critical need for more cyber professionals. The industry is facing a skills gap with almost a half-million open cyber positions, according to Cyber Seek US, a job-tracking tool, and Black cybersecurity and privacy lawyers say there is a particular need for legal professionals. Stewart said bringing more diverse talent to the field, especially in cybersecurity law, will close that gap and help companies improve defenses.
