Brett Johnson

Former United States Most Wanted, Brett Johnson, referred to by the United States Secret Service as “The Original Internet Godfather,” has been a central figure in the cybercrime world for over 20 years. Mr. Johnson built and led the ShadowCrew, the precursor to today’s darknet markets. He was instrumental in developing many areas of online fraud while helping design, implement, and refine modern Identity Theft, Account Take Over Fraud, Card Not Present Fraud, IRS Tax Fraud, and countless other social engineering attacks, breaches, and hacking operations.

Upon his capture, the United States Secret Service hired Johnson to work as a consultant and informant. Johnson worked with the Secret Service for several months before going on a cross-country crime spree, being placed on the US Most Wanted List, being captured again, sent to prison, escaping prison, being captured yet again, and finally accepting responsibility for his actions. With the help of many, Johnson stepped away from crime and now uses the vast knowledge he has concerning cybersecurity, cybercrime, identity theft, and fraud to help individuals and companies protect themselves from the type of person he used to be.

Today, Johnson is a security consultant and public speaker. He is one of the world's foremost authorities on cybercrime and identity theft. He hosts the podcast "The Brett Johnson Show," where he discusses his life and cybersecurity while teaching listeners how to protect themselves from the type of person he used to be. Johnson has been featured in Kevin Poulsen's book "Kingpin" and on numerous media outlets, including the New York Times, NBC, CNN Money, Wired Magazine, Vice, RT TV, ArsTechnica, The Independent, and more.