Alumni News
Guarding Cyber Security Andrew Bonillo ’98 Andy Bonillo began his career in criminal justice as a uniformed federal police officer in Washington, D.C. Now, he is a highly experienced cyber crime investigator, successful in a branch of the criminal justice field that barely existed when he graduated less than 15 years ago. He is a recognized expert in cyber security, the investigation of online criminal groups, and large scale data breaches, most notably the TJ Maxx and Heartland Payment Systems data breaches (officially U.S.A. vs. Albert Gonzales). Bonillo received a distinguished service award from U.S. Department of Justice for his role in investigating and prosecuting that case, the largest cyber crime case in U.S. history. At the time, he was a special agent with the United States Secret Service. In 2010, the former Hawks baseball player from Connecticut concluded his 10 years with the Secret Service to continue his career in the private sector. He now manages a team of incident responders for Verizon Business. His team (known as RISK: research, investigation, solutions, and knowledge) is part of a larger group of colleagues worldwide who work on investigating major security incidents. “We’re involved in one third of the publicly disclosed data breaches worldwide,” he says. Bonillo refers to the perpetrators of cyber crime as the bad guys. Besides figuring out who the bad guys are, he also develops solutions which, he says, “make companies more secure.” He has been a guest lecturer at American University and Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and appeared as a guest on The Today Show. Bonillo’s gratitude for the opportunities he had has prompted him to establish a non-profit organization. He and his family founded the Andy Fund in memory of Andrew Bonillo Sr., who dedicated his life to helping young people overcome adversity. “The internship I had at Saint Anselm College launched my career,” he says. “Without people championing for me and giving me access to opportunities, I wouldn’t be doing what I am today.”
Humanitarian Honored Dr. Marc LaForce ’60 Dr. Marc LaForce ’60 (the subject of the previous Portraits magazine cover article) received the 2012 Albert B. Sabin Gold Medal Award. He was recognized for his contributions to world health as a professional and a humanitarian who has played a vital role in eliminating one of the most deadly diseases in Africa, meningitis A. The award was presented in May at an international conference for infectious disease research. The Gold Medal Award commemorates the legacy of the late Dr. Albert B. Sabin (developer of the oral polio vaccine) by honoring an individual who has had a major impact in vaccine research and development or has materially improved the access to vaccines for neglected and at-risk populations. LaForce is in the company of public health notables including the co-developer of the measles vaccine. He will present “Hope is a Vaccine: Eliminating African Meningitis Epidemics” at the New Hampshire Institute of Politics at Saint Anselm College in November.
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