JEN Ellis, recently awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), has made significant impacts in cybersecurity policy, particularly advocating for security researchers. Her journey began after witnessing her friend HD Moore face legal threats while conducting legitimate security research. Driven by outrage, she approached her employer, Rapid7's CEO, with a bold idea to change laws affecting researchers.
Through persistence, she gained traction with the Department of Justice (DoJ), facilitated critical meetings between researchers and the DoJ, and testified before Congress on issues affecting cybersecurity legislation. Over the years, her advocacy has led to significant policy changes protecting good-faith security researchers and reshaped their relationship with the law. Now, she runs NextJenSecurity, continuing her work on a global scale while supporting cybersecurity community engagement and policy development.