IBM DISTINGUISHED ENGINEER · MASTER INVENTOR · PROFESSOR

Jeff Crume — cybersecurity, explained in light

warming up the studio lights…

Cybersecurity and AI, explained in light.

Four decades of cybersecurity, taught on a sheet of glass to 30 million viewers.

Explore my storyWatch my videos

0+

Years in IT & security

0M+

Views on the videos

0+

Keynote presentations

0

Countries with clients

0+

Years as Adjunct Professor

ZERO TRUSTAI SECURITYPHISHINGPROMPT INJECTIONENCRYPTIONDEEPFAKESIDENTITY & ACCESSSHADOW AIRANSOMWAREADVERSARIAL AIQUANTUM RISKDATA PROTECTION
ZERO TRUSTAI SECURITYPHISHINGPROMPT INJECTIONENCRYPTIONDEEPFAKESIDENTITY & ACCESSSHADOW AIRANSOMWAREADVERSARIAL AIQUANTUM RISKDATA PROTECTION
Jeff Crume at the lightboard, a neon padlock drawn on the glass over his chest
PhD · CYBERSECURITY
MASTER INVENTOR

THE STORY

Four decades of makingsecurity make sense.

Hi I am Jeff, an IBM Distinguished Engineer and Master Inventor with more than 40 years in the IT industry, a PhD in Cybersecurity, and an Adjunct Professor at NC State University. I also authored “Inside Internet Security: What Hackers Don't Want You To Know”, contributed to the Information Security Management Handbook, and serve on the editorial board of the Information and Computer Security research journal.

I architected some of the world's first secure e-commerce payment systems, lived in Beijing on assignment, and worked with clients in 50 countries. Then I picked up a neon marker and became one of the most-watched Cybersecurity and AI teachers on the planet, with YouTube videos viewed more than 30 million times.

“When I'm in my classroom, I can talk to about 25 students. When I'm here on YouTube, I get to talk to the world.”

HOW THE MAGIC WORKS

Studio secrets, revealed

They say a magician should never reveal how the trick is done, but I'm a teacher, not a magician, so I want you to know. Here goes... The number one question from viewers: how do you write backwards? I don't. So here they are the four secrets behind every lightboard video.

SECRET 01

The Glass

I'm not writing in the air. There's a sheet of glass between me and the camera, which zooms in until the edges crop out. That makes the writing appear to float in midair.

SECRET 02

The Blacklight

A light ring around the glass illuminates me and a second ring of blacklight makes special neon dry-erase markers fluoresce. That's the glow physics.

SECRET 03

The Flip

Sorry to say, but I can't write backwards. I can barely write forwards. The writing is normal. We just flip the video left to right during post-production. That's why I look left-handed on YouTube. I am not. Try the FLIP button on the lightboard above.

SECRET 04

The Village

A director-producer oversees the process while a professional videographer and sound tech do the recording. Sometimes they help with the drawings too (see angry dog).

01SCRIPT→02STUDIO→03GLASS→04FLIP→05SHIP

“IT TAKES A VILLAGE” — DIRECTOR · PRODUCER · DAVE ON CAMERA & GRAPHICS · STUDIOS WORLDWIDE

THE CAREER

From NetView to neon

1982: I started as an entry-level programmer on IBM's flagship network management software while still in college. I worked my way up to senior programmer in subsequent years.
2026: I'm the Distinguished Engineer drawing AI security in glowing ink for millions. Here's every stop in between.

1982

IBM · RALEIGH–DURHAM, NC

Senior Programmer, Network Management Software

IBM

Team leader, programmer and designer on NetView, IBM's flagship network management software. A four-decade story that starts at a terminal.

1984

EDUCATION

B.S. Computer Science

NC State University

The degree that started it all and decades later, an induction into the inaugural class of the NC State Computer Science Alumni Hall of Fame.

1989

IBM · RALEIGH–DURHAM, NC

WW Systems & Network Management Technical Sales

IBM Tivoli

Led a team of senior technical subject matter experts supporting IBM Tivoli systems and network management products around the world.

1997

IBM · RALEIGH–DURHAM, NC

Executive IT Security Architect

IBM

Architected secure IT infrastructures, including some of the world's first secure e-commerce payment systems plus identity & access management and mobile device security.

2006

IBM · BEIJING, CHINA

Security Technical Sales Leader, Greater China Group

IBM

An international assignment architecting secure solutions for clients across mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan part of a career spanning clients in 50 countries.

2007

IBM · RALEIGH–DURHAM, NC

WW Technical Sales Leader, Security Compliance Solutions

IBM

Lead security architect for IBM security solutions worldwide, running client workshops and briefings, and mentoring colleagues across the globe.

2009

IBM · RALEIGH–DURHAM, NC

Distinguished Engineer & CTO, IBM Security Technical Sales — Americas

IBM

Sixteen years as cybersecurity architect for the Americas, identifying security needs, defining requirements and setting strategic direction based on industry best practice.

2019

EDUCATION

Ph.D. Cybersecurity

University of Plymouth

A doctorate earned mid-career because the best teachers never stop being students.

2020

TEACHING · ENGINEERING BUILDING II, RALEIGH

Assistant Teaching Professor (Adjunct)

NC State University

“In my classroom I can talk to about 25 students. On YouTube, I get to talk to the world.” Now teaching cybersecurity where it all began.

2025

IBM · RALEIGH, NC

Distinguished Engineer, Data & AI Security Technical Sales

IBM

Working with clients on cybersecurity architectures for protecting data and AI and drawing it all out, in neon, on the IBM Technology lightboard.

THE PHILOSOPHY

Never trust. Always verify.

Zero Trust is the idea that no user, device or network is trusted by default inside the perimeter or out. Every request proves itself, every time.

It was the subject of my very first video. The concept needed a guard for the house in my analogy. So Dave the artist behind the camera drew one, an angry neon dog. Viewers loved him so much he started making cameo appearances in other videos, and eventually ended up on a commemorative shirt Dave made for me.

NO IMPLICIT TRUSTVERIFY EXPLICITLYLEAST PRIVILEGEASSUME BREACH
Hear me tell the story behind the angry dog

⌁ SECURE PERIMETER — K-9 UNIT ⌁

Fido — THE ANGRY DOG

GUARDING THE HOUSE SINCE ZERO TRUST VIDEO #1

Drawn by Dave. The guy that helped, filmed, edited and did graphics for all of my early videos. Beloved by the YouTube comment section. He checks everyone, every packet, every time. Hover to hear his policy. Click to submit your credentials.

POURING THE GLASS…

SPECIMEN 001 — THE MAN BEHIND THE GLASS · MOVE YOUR CURSOR · TAP AND DRAG

RECOGNITION

The man behind the glass

You see the writing. Here's the record of the person holding the marker.

BOOK

Inside Internet Security

Author of “Inside Internet Security: What Hackers Don't Want You To Know”, demystifying attackers for the people defending against them.

CONTRIBUTOR

Information Security Management Handbook

Contributing author to the industry-standard reference for security practitioners.

HALL OF FAME

NC State CS Alumni Hall of Fame

Member of the inaugural class honored by the same computer science department that awarded the B.S. degree.

TITLES

Distinguished Engineer · Master Inventor

Some of IBM's highest technical designations, plus a seat on the editorial board of the “Information and Computer Security” research journal.

30M+

WHY THE VIDEOS EXIST

“I have a passion for teaching. It feels good to reach out and help as many people as I can.
So many people taugh me, so this is my way of paying it forward.”

25

STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM

→

THE WORLD

ON THE IBM TECHNOLOGY CHANNEL

▶ Watch the lightboard videos

ON STAGE

Off the glass, and onto the stage.

The lightboard reaches further, but a room still does something a camera can't. Summits, symposiums, university conferences and federal briefings. A hundred-plus of them, on zero trust, AI security and the attack surface that arrived with the technology.

Jeff Crume with a colleague in a conference hallway at IBM Think 2025, both wearing Think lanyards
IBM THINK 2025
FedGov Today episode card — “Enhancing Federal Citizen Services with Zero Trust & AI Innovations” with Jeff Crume, presented by Presidio Federal and IBM
FEDGOV TODAY · PRESIDIO FEDERAL & IBM
Jeff Crume with the IBM Security team at their booth during the INCYBER Forum Canada
INCYBER FORUM CANADA

RECENT APPEARANCES

2025

New York Cybersecurity Summit

NEW YORK, NY · NOVEMBER

2025

North Carolina Cybersecurity Symposium

“Deepfakes and Synthetic Reality: Blurring the Lines”

2025

GMU Cyber AI Summit

“AI: The New Attack Surface”

GEORGE MASON UNIVERSITY

2025

Duke Cybersecurity Conference

DUKE UNIVERSITY, DURHAM, NC

2025

IBM Think

“AI: The New Attack Surface”

FedGov Today — Presidio Federal & IBM

“Enhancing Federal Citizen Services with Zero Trust & AI Innovations”

2024

INCYBER Forum Canada

MONTRÉAL, CANADA

Book me to keynote your event

KEYNOTES · PANELS · PODCASTS · CLASSROOMS · INTERNAL BRIEFINGS

CONTACT

Office hours: the internet.

Cybersecurity questions, AI discussions, speaking engagements. Guest lectures at universities around the world or a debate about which neon marker glows brightest under blacklight. The door stays open, and so does the comment section.

YOUTUBE

IBM Technology

Lightboard videos · 30M+ views

Open the channel