Lieutenant General Sir Edmund Burton KBE is the Chair of the Advisory Committee on Trustworthy Software (ACTS), a role he also performed during the original Trustworthy Software Initiative (TSI) which preceded the formation of the Trustworthy Software Foundation (TSFdn)
Sir Edmund brings a breadth of experience to this role. Both in the Ministry of Defence and in the Police IT Organisation (PITO) he has been a staunch advocate of the importance of treating information as a ‘key business asset’, and of protecting it accordingly. In recent years, Sir Edmund has made a significant contribution to IA. His review, undertaken in 2001, led to the establishment of the Central Sponsor for Information Assurance (CSIA) in the Cabinet Office under the leadership of the E-envoy (Andrew Pinder) and to the appointment of Senior Information Risk Owners (SIROs) in government departments.
He undertook a review into the losses of data in MOD in 2008. He has filled Non Executive Director roles in the public and private sectors and is an advocate of effective partnering between government and private sector service providers. He has been active as a speaker, advisor and mentor on the subjects of leading transformational change and the effective management of information risks, both in support of the Civil Service and private sector. His particular interest is in the mid career education of leaders, enabling them to play an effective role in business transformation in a time of rapid change and uncertainty.
Sir Edmund retired from a thirty eight year military career in 2000. His final appointment, as Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff (Systems) in the MOD, bore responsibility for sponsoring the future equipment programmes for the Royal Navy, Army, and Royal Air Force. After retirement from the Army, he was appointed, by the Home Secretary as Executive Chairman of the UK Police IT Organisation (PITO), which was responsible for defining, procuring and supporting national IT and communications capabilities for policing.
He was appointed Visiting Professor of Cranfield University in 2000 and awarded a Doctorate of Science (honoris causa) in 2009.
Membership of external committees
Membership of professional associations and societies