Biography
Dr. Ilia Kolochenko is a Partner and Cybersecurity Practice Lead at Platt Law LLP. His legal practice focuses on cybersecurity, data protection and privacy, cybercrime investigations and cyber-enabled IP crime.
Admitted to the Bar of Washington, D.C., Dr. Kolochenko is a Swiss cybersecurity, privacy and cyber law expert. He has over 15 years of technical experience in cybersecurity and cybercrime investigations, starting his career as an information security auditor and digital forensics analyst after military service in Swiss artillery troops in 2007.
His cybersecurity company ImmuniWeb has received dozens of international awards and industry recognitions for practical use of Machine Learning and AI in cybersecurity.
Over the course of his active cybersecurity career, he has written over 50 articles on information security, cybercrime investigation and AI and his interviews and expert commentary have been published extensively by respected media outlets including Forbes, Financial Times, The Economist, CNBC and BBC.
Dr. Kolochenko is currently involved with several international associations and organizations dedicated to law, privacy and law enforcement. He also teaches cybersecurity and cyber law as Adjunct Professor at Capitol Technology University in Maryland, chairing Doctoral students doing research relating to cybersecurity regulations, compliance and IP. Additionally, Dr. Ilia Kolochenko is a CLE Program Faculty Member at the DC Bar, teaching “Cybersecurity for Lawyers & Law Firms” CLE course there.
Professional Memberships
- D.C. Bar
- D.C. Bar CLE Program Faculty
- American Bar Association (ABA)
- Swiss Arbitration Association (ASA)
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
- Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS)
- International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)
- Europol Data Protection Experts Network (EDEN)
- INTERPOL Digital Forensics Expert Group (DFEG)
- GIAC Advisory Board
- SANS CISO Network
- WIPO Young ADR
- EU CyberNet
Professional Affiliations
- Boston University Metropolitan College
Cybercrime Investigation & Cybersecurity (CIC) Committee Member
(2020-Present) - International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)
Appeals Board Member
(2023-Present) - American Bar Association
Information Security Committee Vice-Chair
(2024-Present) - Fellow
European Law Institute (ELI)
(2024 – Present) - Fellow (FBCS)
UK Chartered Institute for IT (BCS)
(2024 – Present)
Education
- BSc, Computer Science and Mathematics Webster University
- MSc, Criminal Justice (Cybersecurity & Cybercrime Investigation) Boston University
- MLS, Litigation Certificate Washington University School of Law
- PhD, Computer Science Capitol Technology University
- LL.M. in Information Technology Law Edinburgh University Law School
- LL.M. in Cyber, Intelligence, and National Security Law George Mason University Law School
- Doctor of Forensic Sciences
Oklahoma State University School of Forensic Sciences*
* Graduation expected in 2026
Professional Certifications and Training
- International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)
- Privacy Law Specialist (PLS)
- Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP)
- Artificial Intelligence Governance Professional (AIGP)
- Certified Information Privacy Professional US (CIPP/US)
- Certified Information Privacy Professional Europe (CIPP/E)
- Certified Information Privacy Professional Canada (CIPP/C)
- Certified Information Privacy Professional Asia (CIPP/A)
- Certified Information Privacy Technologist (CIPT)
- Certified Information Privacy Manager (CIPM)
- Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC)
- GIAC Cloud Penetration Tester (GCPN)
- GIAC Cloud Forensics Responder (GCFR)
- GIAC Cloud Security Automation (GCSA)
- GIAC Cyber Threat Intelligence (GCTI)
- GIAC Defending Advanced Threats (GDAT)
- GIAC Mobile Device Security Analyst (GMOB)
- GIAC Law of Data Security & Investigations (GLEG)
- GIAC Public Cloud Security (GPCS)
- International Law of Cyber Operations
NATO CCDCOE (Cooperative Cyber Defense Centre of Excellence) - Financial Analysis and Valuation for Lawyers
Harvard Law School - Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (ACAMS)
- Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist (CAMS)
- Certified Cryptoasset Anti-Financial Crime Specialist (CCAS)
- Advanced CAMS – Financial Crimes Investigations (CAMS-FCI)
- Advanced CAMS – Risk Management (CAMS-RM)
- Certified Global Sanctions Specialist (CGSS)
- Certified Anti-Fraud Specialist (CAFS)
Areas of Practice
- Cybersecurity
- Data Protection & Privacy
- Cybercrime Investigations
- Cyber-enabled IP crimes
- Compliance
Recent Publications
- DeepSeek in the Crosshairs: Texas Investigates Chinese A.I.
Texas Lawyer
February 2025 - How to Protect Your Law Firm’s Data in the Era of GenAI
Business Law Today by the American Bar Association (ABA)
December 2024 - Year-End Check-in: Data Breach Readiness
Washington Lawyer by the D.C. Bar
November/December 2024 - Cyber Gangs Aren’t Afraid of Prosecution
DarkReading
October 2024 - Using Social Networks Data for GenAI Training: Unlawful by Default or Design?
Solicitors Journal
July 2024 - Generative AI for Criminal Defense Lawyers: Myths, Risks, and Benefits
The Champion® by the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys
July 2024 - Generative AI, Cybersecurity And Cybercrime For Lawyers: Myths, Risks And Benefits
LexisNexis Mealey’s Litigation Reports
June 2024 - Five Reasons Why Law Enforcement Loses the Battle Against Cybercrime
New York Law Journal
May 2024 - GenAI Lawsuits: Evidence Collection & Pretrial Discovery for Plaintiffs
Bloomberg Law
May 2024 - Data Breach Investigations: Challenges in Attributing Cyber-Attacks
Solicitors Journal
April 2024 - GenAI: Copyright and Beyond
New York Law Journal
March 2024 - Cybersecurity, Privacy and Regulatory Risks of AI in Legal Practice
Orange County Lawyer
December 2023 - Generative AI In Legal Practice: Technical And Legal Aspects To Consider
LexisNexis Mealey’s Litigation Reports
September 2023 - ChatGPT: IP, Cybersecurity & Other Legal Risks of Generative AI
Bloomberg Law
February 2023
Recent Interviews and Media Comments
- Cloudflare Sidesteps Copyright Issues, Blocking AI Scrapers By Default
Forbes
July 2, 2025 - Encryption Backdoors: The Security Practitioners’ View
SecurityWeek
June 19, 2025 - DOGE-Trolling Ransomware Hackers Demand $1 Trillion
Forbes
April 24, 2025 - Three Ways to Batten Down Executives’ Personal Digital Lives
WSJ
February 19, 2025 - There are other AI risks besides DeepSeek
The Law Society Gazette
February 14, 2025 - Medical Records Stolen As 1 Million Patients Hit By Healthcare Hack
Forbes
February 2, 2025 - FTC’s Info Security Action Against GoDaddy Sends ‘Clear Signal’ to Web Hosting Industry: Expert
National Law Journal
January 24, 2025 - SBF Cooperator Gets No Prison & Crypto Strategy
Bloomberg Law
November 2024 - ‘A Fierce Battle of Expert Witnesses’ Expected in Cybersecurity Spat
Law.com
October 2024 - ICO Proposes $7.8M Fine Against NHS Contractor in Warning to IT Providers
Compliance Week
August 2024 - Hacktivists Claim Disney Data Leak Was Protest Against AI Art; One Terabyte of Internal Slack Messaging Chats Stolen and Leaked
CPO Magazine
July 2024 - Can AI Be Meaningfully Regulated, or Is Regulation a Deceitful Fudge?
SecurityWeek
June 2024 - How CISOs Can Protect Their Personal Liability
CSO Online
July 2024 - FCC Names Its First-Ever AI Scammer In Threat Alert
Fox News
June 2024 - Generative AI Pushed Cyber, Business Teams Closer at E-Commerce Giant Zalando
The Wall Street Journal
February 2024 - US Regulator Admits Cyber-Security Lapse Before Rogue Bitcoin Post
BBC
January 2024
Recent Talks and Presentations
Expert Panel at the Boston University’s White Hat Conference 2025
Session: “Global Intelligence Perspectives and Strategies”
Panelist: Dr. Ilia Kolochenko
June 2025 – León, Spain- British Computer Society (BCS) Webinar “5 Stories Around AI”
Presentation: “Practical Implications of GenAI in Cybersecurity and Cybercrime”
Speaker: Dr. Ilia Kolochenko
May 2025 – Online - Expert Panel & Round Table Unveiling 2025 Verizon DBIR Report
Discussion: “2025 Data Breach Investigations Report”
Panelist: Dr. Ilia Kolochenko
April 2025 – London, UK - Cyber Crime Conference Rome
Presentation: “Cybersecurity Law & Incident Response for Cybersecurity Professionals”
Speaker: Dr. Ilia Kolochenko
April 2025 – Rome, Italy
D.C. Bar Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Program
CLE Course: “Cybersecurity for Lawyers & Law Firms”
CLE Course Author: Dr. Ilia Kolochenko
February 2025 – Online / Washington, D.C.
Cybersecurity Forum and CyberDrill for Europe and the Mediterranean by the UN ITU
Technical Presentation: “Cybersecurity Laws and Regulations: What to Expect in 2025”
Speaker: Dr. Ilia Kolochenko
November 2024 – Sofia, BulgariaCyberQ Conference 2024 by the UAE Cyber Security Council
Panel Discussion: “Migration to Quantum Resistant Cryptography”
Panelist: Dr. Ilia Kolochenko
November 2024 – Abu Dhabi, UAE2024 Capital Case Seminar by Los Angeles County Public Defender’s Office and Alternate Public Defender’s Office
Presentation: “AI in Legal Practice: Risks, Myths and Benefits”
Speaker: Dr. Ilia Kolochenko
November 2024 – online / Los Angeles, USGlobal Innovation Forum by the UN ITU
Panel Discussion: “Preparing for the Growth of Startups and SMEs in Globally Connected Markets”
Panelist: Dr. Ilia Kolochenko
October 2024 – Valetta, MaltaISACA 2024 Europe Conference
Presentation: “Cybersecurity Laws and Regulations in 2025: What to Expect”
Speaker: Dr. Ilia Kolochenko
October 2024 – Dublin, IrelandSANS Institute CISO Network UK Summit
Presentation: “Cybersecurity Laws and Regulations for CISOs”
Speaker: Dr. Ilia Kolochenko
September 2024 – London, UK2024 International Industrial Security Paper Competition by the Korean Association for Industrial Security (KAIS)
Keynote Talk: “Global Trends in Industrial Security in 2024”
Keynote Speaker: Dr. Ilia Kolochenko
September 2024 – Seoul, South KoreaVLC Holdings Group Executive Forum 2024
Presentation: “Practical Implications of GenAI in Cybersecurity, Privacy and Cybercrime”
Speaker: Dr. Ilia Kolochenko
September 2024 – Tokyo, Japan2024 International White Hat Conference by Boston University
Cybercrime Defense in Preparation for the AI and Robotics Revolution
Panel Discussion: “Legal Perspectives and Strategies”
Panelist: Dr. Ilia Kolochenko
June 2024 – Online / Seoul, South KoreaD.C. Bar Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Program
CLE Course: “Cybersecurity for Lawyers & Law Firms”
CLE Course Author: Dr. Ilia Kolochenko
April 2024 – Online / Washington, D.C.
Awards and Recogitions
- March 2025
Globee® Awards 2025 Gold Winner
Category: Cybersecurity Thought Leadership - December 2024
GCC’s Tech Vanguard 30 Innovators 2024 by Inc. Arabia
Inc.Arabia - June 2024
The Outstanding Security Performance Awards (OSPAs)
Category: Outstanding Cyber Security Professional - December 2023
Cyber Security Awards 2023
Category: Cyber Security Entrepreneur of the Year - March 2023
Cybersecurity Excellence Awards 2023
Category: CEO of the Year - January 2023
Titan Business Awards 2023
Category: Entrepreneur of the Year