Adam Savage
MythBusters Co-Host & Executive Producer | NYT Bestselling Author | Board Member, Smithsonian Air & Space Museum | Innovation & Creativity
Chris Valasek
Director of Product Security at Cruise (GM) | Famed Jeep Hacker | Autonomous Vehicle & IoT Cybersecurity Expert | DEF CON & Black Hat Speaker
Director of Product Security at Cruise and the researcher who, with Charlie Miller, remotely hacked a Jeep Cherokee from 10 miles away, triggering the recall of 1.4 million vehicles. Speaker Chris Valasek turns frontier research on autonomous vehicles, IoT, and offensive security into actionable strategy that helps executives defend the connected systems running their business.
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Chris Valasek biography
Speaker Chris Valasek is one of the world’s foremost authorities on automotive cybersecurity and autonomous vehicle defense. He serves as Director of Product Security at Cruise, the General Motors-owned self-driving company, where he leads the strategy that protects driverless fleets from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. Before Cruise, Valasek was Security Lead at Uber’s Advanced Technologies Center and a researcher at IOActive, building a career defined by offensive research, exploitation, and reverse engineering.
Valasek became a household name in cybersecurity through his work alongside Charlie Miller. Together, they remotely compromised a 2014 Jeep Cherokee, taking control of steering, brakes, and transmission from more than ten miles away. The demonstration triggered the recall of 1.4 million vehicles and fundamentally reshaped how the automotive industry approaches security. He later released a public library that allowed researchers to physically control vehicles, forcing manufacturers and regulators to treat connected cars as critical infrastructure.
Shaping the Future of Vehicle Security
Valasek is a fixture at the world’s most influential cybersecurity conferences, including DEF CON, Black Hat USA, Infiltrate, and TEDx, and serves as Chairman of SummerCon, one of the longest-running hacker conventions in the United States. He recently delivered a keynote retrospective with Miller at the USENIX Vehicle Security Conference, marking a decade since the Jeep hack and outlining the future of automotive defense. His commentary has appeared in Fortune, TIME, Forbes, The Washington Post, and SecurityWeek, and he has been named to LinkedIn’s Next Wave list of professionals reshaping their industries.
As a speaker, Chris Valasek translates highly technical research into the strategic language executives and engineers need. He helps audiences understand how connected and autonomous vehicles are attacked, how product security organizations should be structured, and how to build resilience into IoT and mobility ecosystems. Booking him through Aurum Speakers Bureau gives organizations rare access to a researcher who has not only exposed the threats facing modern transportation but is actively engineering the systems that defend it. His talks are essential for any audience navigating cybersecurity and the future of mobility.
Chris Valasek Speaking Videos
Hackers Remotely Kill a Jeep on a Highway
Chris Valasek - The Current State of Automotive Security
Chris Valasek Keynote Topics
From the Jeep Cherokee hack to today's autonomous fleets, Chris Valasek walks audiences through how attackers actually compromise modern vehicles. Drawing on his offensive research and his current work leading product security at Cruise, he reveals what has changed in a decade of automotive cybersecurity, where the next wave of vulnerabilities lives, and what every connected business — not just carmakers — should learn from the auto industry's hard-won lessons.
Most organizations build defenses around what they think attackers will do. Chris Valasek shows them what attackers actually do. Using real exploits, reverse engineering, and case studies from his career, he helps engineering, security, and executive teams reframe their approach to network defense — moving from compliance-driven checklists to threat-informed security strategies that hold up against motivated adversaries.
Self-driving cars are the most complex consumer products ever shipped, and they are arriving on public roads at scale. Drawing on his role at Cruise, Chris Valasek details how product security teams design, validate, and harden autonomous platforms — from sensors and software supply chains to the cloud systems controlling fleets. Audiences leave with a clear picture of how AV security will define which mobility companies survive.
The same architectural failures that made cars hackable now repeat across industrial IoT, medical devices, and smart infrastructure. Chris Valasek translates a decade of automotive findings into a playbook for any executive deploying connected products. He addresses secure-by-design principles, vulnerability disclosure, regulatory pressure, and how to build internal product security organizations that scale.
FAQs on Booking Chris Valasek
Why Chris Valasek?
Chris Valasek is one of the very few cybersecurity speakers with hands-on credibility on the world's most consequential automotive hack and ongoing operational responsibility for protecting a real autonomous vehicle fleet. He doesn't theorize about connected-vehicle risk; he engineers the defenses against it. On stage, he combines vivid demonstrations from his offensive research with strategic insight from his work at Cruise, helping audiences grasp both the technical reality and the executive implications. Book Chris Valasek through Aurum Speakers Bureau to bring a voice that boards, engineers, and policymakers all take seriously to your next event.
What is Chris Valasek famous for?
Chris Valasek is best known for the remote hack of a 2014 Jeep Cherokee with research partner Charlie Miller. Working from miles away, the pair took control of the vehicle's steering, brakes, and transmission, prompting Fiat Chrysler to recall 1.4 million vehicles. The demonstration is widely credited with launching the modern automotive cybersecurity industry. Valasek has since led security teams at Uber's self-driving unit and at Cruise, and serves as Chairman of SummerCon, one of the world's longest-running hacker conferences.
Where can I see Chris Valasek speak?
Chris Valasek regularly headlines cybersecurity and mobility conferences including DEF CON, Black Hat USA, Infiltrate, USENIX VehicleSec, and TEDx events. He is also booked privately by automotive manufacturers, technology companies, and government agencies for executive briefings on autonomous vehicle security and IoT defense. To schedule Chris Valasek for a corporate keynote, board session, or industry conference, contact Aurum Speakers Bureau and our team will manage availability and logistics end to end.
What topics does Chris Valasek cover in his keynotes?
Chris Valasek's keynotes focus on autonomous vehicle security, the connected-vehicle threat landscape, IoT and product security, and lessons from a career in offensive research. He is equally comfortable addressing technical security teams and non-technical executive audiences, and tailors content for automotive, manufacturing, technology, and financial services organizations whose products and operations increasingly depend on connected systems.
How to book Chris Valasek as a keynote speaker?
Aurum Speakers Bureau can help you book Chris Valasek as a speaker for your next event, conference, or board meeting. Simply fill out our contact form to inquire about Chris Valasek's availability for a speaking engagement. One of our booking agents will respond to your request immediately and contact the speaker to let them know you want to hire them. We will assist you with obtaining speaking fees, booking information, and confirming availability for Chris Valasek or any other top keynote speaker or celebrity of your choice.
How much is Chris Valasek speaking fee?
Chris Valasek speaking fees are determined by several factors, including the event's date, whether it's a virtual or in-person event, the duration, format, preparation required for their speech, and more. The same applies to the cost to hire any other top expert speakers and celebrities. The Speaker Fee Range listed on our website is simply a guideline and is subject to change without notice. If you would like to hire Chris Valasek to deliver a keynote speech for your event, please fill out the contact form or email us at info@aurumbureau.com with as much detail as possible. One of our experienced agents will get in touch with you and let you know exactly how much it will cost to book Chris Valasek.
How can I contact Chris Valasek?
We only work with Chris Valasek on paid speaking engagements. Aurum Speakers Bureau can assist you in booking Chris Valasek and will handle all negotiations, contracts, and logistics associated with having Chris Valasek speak at your event. We will be your sole point of contact throughout the process. Get in touch with Aurum Speakers Bureau today, and we will reach out to any motivational speaker or celebrity you want to enquire about speaking at your event. If you wish to contact Chris Valasek for any other reason, we will be unable to assist you as we are not authorized to provide personal contact information.
Can I book Chris Valasek for a virtual keynote?
Yes, Chris Valasek is available for virtual keynotes and webinars. To book Chris Valasek for a virtual event, please complete the contact form or send us an email to inquire about the special fees for virtual engagements.
