Michael Smith
Field CTO

Michael Smith is Vercara's Field Chief Technology Officer and is responsible for the organization's overall technology strategy including product management, threat intelligence, customer support, and sales and channels enablement. Smith initially started as a Russian translator in the U.S. Army, before serving in CTO roles in startups and information security officer roles leading major government security projects. With over 30 years of experience in cybersecurity, information technology, and intelligence, he has managed high-profile incidents such as the wave of DDoS attacks against major U.S. banks in 2012 and 2013 and attacks by e-commerce account takeover gangs, as well as security monitoring for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2014 Winter Olympic Games, and preparations for both the 2018 and 2020 Olympic Games.

Michael Smith

Articles by Michael Smith

January 21, 2025

Cybersecurity Insights from 2024: Key Trends and Strategies to Secure 2025

Explore 2024's top cybersecurity trends: hacktivism, AI-powered threats, IPv6 growth, and advanced DDoS attacks. Learn strategies to secure 2025 effectively.
October 9, 2024

Deploying a Country-wide Protective DNS

Learn how country-wide PDNS enhances national security by blocking malicious domains, improving threat detection, and safeguarding critical infrastructure.
August 1, 2024

Vercara’s Response to the ‘Sitting Ducks’ Domain Hijack Vulnerability

Learn how Vercara addresses the 'Sitting Ducks' domain hijack vulnerability. Discover the measures UltraDNS takes to safeguard your domains and ensure uninterrupted online security.
July 30, 2024

PCI-DSS-Compliant Malware and Phishing Protection with Protective DNS

Protect cardholder and payment data with PCI-DSS-compliant malware and phishing protection using Protective DNS. Achieve compliance, safeguard sensitive information, and enhance your security posture with Vercara's UltraDDR solution.
July 15, 2024

AI Plus Social Media Bots = Large-Scale Disinformation Campaigns

Discover how AI-driven disinformation bots threaten democracy and how Vercara's UltraBot Manager protects social media APIs and websites, ensuring secure and reliable digital interactions.
April 24, 2024

CFPB, Open Banking, and APIs: Increased Financial Transparency but also Security Risk

Discover how CFPB's Section 1033 rulemaking fosters open banking, requiring secure data sharing with consumers and third parties, and how it impacts financial services compliance and innovation.
March 21, 2024

What is An Application-Layer DDoS Attack, and How Do I Defend Against Them?

This blog covers what an application-layer attack is, its indicators, and how you can defend and mitigate them.  
February 29, 2024

February 2024 UltraWAF Countermeasure of the Month

Vercara's UltraWAF Responder Policies give administrators the ability to manage traffic more effectively with WAF without needing to write complex configurations on their servers.
February 23, 2024

Blocking Domain Generation Algorithms with UltraDDR 

Find out how protective DNS solutions play a crucial role in defending against DGAs by analyzing DNS query data to identify and block potentially malicious domains.
February 14, 2024

Get Ready for PCI-DSS 4.0 Compliance with Vercara’s UltraWAF

Navigate PCI-DSS compliance and focus on delivering exceptional services while keeping their customers' cardholder data secure with Vercara UltraWAF.
January 30, 2024

January 2024 UltraWAF Countermeasure of the Month 

December 12, 2023

Typosquatting and Phishing Protection with UltraDDR 

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