For the last decade, Next Peak co-founder Greg Rattray has been developing an idea around his passion for the intersection of geopolitics and cyber. Today, as geopolitical risks are increasing from emerging wars, domestic extremism, and erosion of global institutions, Next Peak officially launches a new branch: Intelligent Cyber Research (ICR)—finally bringing Greg’s idea into fruition.
Next Peak is also excited to welcome a group of advisors to work alongside the team to help hone and further develop ICR services to be at its best capabilities: (See full bios at the end)
- Michael Daniel, former Special Assistant to President Obama and Cybersecurity Coordinator on the National Security Council Staff, current CEO of the Cyber Threat Alliance
- Laura Galante, former Intelligence Community Cyber Executive and the Director of the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center, current Principal at WestExec Advisors
- Chris Painter, former Senior Director for Cybersecurity at the White House National Security Staff, world’s first dedicated cyber diplomat at the US State Department
ICR proposition will focus on bridging the gap between geopolitics and cyber security for global organizations. Geopolitics is evolving to become one of the forerunning risks in cyber, and global organizations are facing threats from foreign adversary groups and jurisdiction-specific risks with lacking mitigation and preventative measures. There is a renewed urgency for organizations to invest in cybersecurity that factors in geo cyber risk.
“Open-source resources can only tell us so much about a country’s cyber posture, strategy, and statistics—the kinds of inputs we use for our indicators to assess geo-cyber risk. Some countries have far more data available than others, which makes outside perspective essential. What sets us apart is the subject-matter expertise we draw from our global network of cyber leaders and defense practitioners. Through the leadership and networks of our ICR advisors, that insight is bolstered even further, making our approach truly one of a kind.” – Greg Rattray, Next Peak
What ICR Offers
ICR uniquely provides deep analytical capabilities and expertise at the intersection of geopolitics, cyber, and technology. By assessing and translating geocyber risks, ICR can speak to and provide value to business, strategy, and policy leaders. ICR has 5 offerings:
- Geo Cyber Risk Index (GCRI) & Country Profiles – Provides global clients with a multi-dimensional view of cyber risks across country-level jurisdictions that will help leaders identify key geopolitical cyber risks
- Geo Cyber Risk Assessment (GCRA)– Provides recommendations on controls/investments and cyber defense strategy to mitigate geopolitical cyber risk
- Exercise & Scenario Planning – Tests processes and decision-making abilities in geopolitical cyber risk scenarios to identify gaps in existing strategies
- Advisory – A tailored geopolitical, policy, cyber and technology risk advisory from Next Peak experts
- Curated Reporting & Analysis – Provides business research and analysis customized to client requests for a deeper understanding of geo-cyber risk
“ICR customers are divided into two groups. The first group is made up of organizations that already know they need to think about geopolitical cyber risk. Then there are those that don’t yet realize it—but need a way to start. The challenge is helping both types of entities move from awareness to analysis to decisions. This is an expanding market where companies are running up against issues like malware, trade wars, and more—and need structured ways to respond.” – Michael Daniel, Cyber Threat Alliance
Geopolitical cyber risk is not a consideration for the future—it is a priority for today. The ICR team is ready for action and is looking forward to helping clients and the greater cyber industry better prepare for such incidents and risks.
If you’d like to learn more about ICR and how it can help your organization take the next step forward, connect with us at admin@nextpeak.net.
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Meet the ICR Advisors
Michael Daniel previously served from June 2012 to January 2017 as Special Assistant to President Obama and Cybersecurity Coordinator on the National Security Council Staff. In this role, Michael led the development of national cybersecurity strategy and policy, and ensured that the US government effectively partnered with the private sector, non-governmental organizations, and other nations. He actively continues to work to improve the nation’s cybersecurity and joined the Cyber Threat alliance in 2017 after his long stint in the government. He is the current President and CEO of the CTA, where he leads the CTA team and oversees the organization’s operations.
Laura Galante brings executive leadership to stakeholders across the public and private sectors. She has built organizations, business lines, products, and policies to defend critical infrastructure for cybersecurity companies, the US Intelligence Community, and allied governments. As a Principal at WestExec Advisors she works with boards and the C-suite on digital resilience. From 2022 to 2025, Laura served as the Intelligence Community’s Cyber Executive and the Director of the Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center. In this role, she coordinated the Intelligence Community’s (IC) response to national cyber incidents and represented the IC on National Security Council policy committees. Under her leadership, the IC fostered new partnerships across the health, water, and energy sectors. She directed the IC’s first enterprise-wide acquisition of commercial cyber intelligence and represented the US government in bilateral and multilateral engagements with allies.
Christopher Painter is the founding Principal of the Cyber Policy Group and is a globally recognized leader and expert on cybersecurity, cyber policy, cyber diplomacy, and combating cybercrime. He served as the world’s first dedicated cyber diplomat at the US State Department. He previously assumed the role of prosecutor in some of the most high-profile cybercrime cases in the United States, before moving onto a senior official position at the Department of Justice, the FBI, the National Security Council, and the State Department. Currently, Christopher also remains active in cyber leadership roles, including Senior Advisor for the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and Board Member for the Center for Internet Security.
