Francesca Spidalieri

Francesca Spidalieri

Senior Cybersecurity Consultant, World Bank Digital Development Global Practice

Francesca Spidalieri is a Senior Cybersecurity Consultant for the World Bank's Digital Development team and the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE). She is also an Adjunct Professor of Cybersecurity Policy at Salve Regina University, a Senior Fellow for Cyber Leadership at the Pell Center for International Relations and Public Policy, and the Co-Principal Investigator for the Cyber Readiness Index 2.0 project at the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies. In addition, Francesca serves as a cybersecurity subject-matter expert for the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), the EU CyberNet, the Ponemon Institute, and other research centers and organizations in the U.S. and Europe. Her research and publications focus on digital transformation strategies, cyber resilient development, national cybersecurity preparedness, cyber risk management, cyber capacity building, and cybersecurity workforce development and awareness. Francesca holds an M.A. in International Affairs and Security Studies from The Fletcher School at Tufts University and the Harvard Kennedy School and has completed additional cybersecurity coursework at the U.S. Naval War College. She lectures regularly at cybersecurity-related events in the U.S. and Europe and contributes to journal articles and other publications on cybersecurity policy matters affecting countries and organizations worldwide."