Cathy Day Handford

Founder and CEO of Cyber Business Development Associates (Cyber BDA, Inc.).

Cathy has over 30 years of experience working in national security, defense and intelligence.  She brings to bear decades of unique industry knowledge gained providing expert analysis and insight into market strategy, business development processes, capture strategy and proposals for companies operating in the aerospace, defense and intelligence sectors.  She has focused on the cybersecurity market since 2009.

Formerly, Cathy led Strategy and Planning for Exelis Information Systems (now Harris), and in that capacity, led their cyber growth strategy.  Cathy started C Day Consulting in 2013 providing cyber and biometrics market/capture strategies in the IC and DoD communities for Tier 1 Aerospace & Defense companies.  Previously Cathy served as first Sector Director of Cyber Initiatives at Northrop Grumman Corporation Information Systems where she led the development of company’s corporate domestic and international cybersecurity market strategies.

Cathy is currently a Senior Advisor to the Chertoff Group, and mentor at the Mach 37 cyber accelerator and is associated with Shipley Associates, Burdeshaw Associates, McCrieght & Company, Decision Coaches and PW Communications.  These companies are also her current Alliance Partners in Cyber BDA, Inc., providing a deep bench of skills and expertise for her clients.  she is a member of the AFCEA Cyber Security Technology Summit committee, a Brookings Institution Congressional Fellow, and a Six Sigma Black Belt.  Cathy has a degree in Mathematics from Randolph-Macon College and significant graduate studies in Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University with an emphasis on strategy and policy.