Joshua McAfee
Founder & Chief Executive Officer · McAfee Institute
Building the global standard for intelligence, investigation, and cyber-threat professionals — and helping bring traffickers and online predators to justice.
- Countries
- 90+
- Certified
- 15K+
- Standard
- 14yr
01 · About
A career translating tradecraft into a global standard.
Joshua McAfee is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the McAfee Institute, a Chesterfield, Missouri–based organization that trains corporations and law-enforcement agencies to battle cybercrime, fraud, and human trafficking.
A former law-enforcement officer and loss-prevention executive, Josh launched the Institute's social-media investigation course in 2010 — work that quickly expanded from fraud detection into the dark world of human trafficking. Since 2011, the Institute's training has helped recover roughly 1,900 trafficking victims, including more than 1,000 children.
Today, under his leadership, the McAfee Institute is internationally recognized for its board-certified credentials in intelligence and investigations — adopted by professionals across law enforcement, military, government, and Fortune 500 security teams worldwide.
02 · Credentials
Board certifications, roles, and recognitions.
A summary of professional credentials and advisory positions held throughout his career.
Inc. 500 #35 Fastest-Growing Company
Ranked #35 on the Inc. 500; #1 in Education
Featured in Inc. Magazine
Inc. 5000 · profiled in Inc., Aug 2013
Board Certified in Intelligence Analysis
CCIA · McAfee Institute
Board Certified in Cyber Investigations
CCCI · McAfee Institute
Founder & CEO
McAfee Institute · 2010 – Present
Former Law-Enforcement Officer
Loss-prevention executive prior to founding
~1,900 Trafficking Victims Recovered
Including 1,000+ children, since 2011
03 · Certifications
Certification programs written and developed.
Board-certified credentials created for intelligence, investigation, cyber, and threat professionals worldwide.
Certified All Source Intelligence Professional (CASIP)
Certified Cryptocurrency Forensic Investigator (CCFI)
Certified Counterintelligence Threat Analyst (CCTA)
Certified Workplace Violence and Threat Specialist (WVTS)
Certified Human Trafficking Investigator (CHTI)
Certified Cyber Intelligence Professional (CCIP)
Certified Cyber Intelligence Investigator (CCII)
Certified Digital Currency Investigator (CDCI)
Certified Expert in Cyber Investigations (CECI)
Certified Criminal Profiler (CCP)
Certified Professional Criminal Investigator (CPCI)
Certified Organized Retail Crime Investigator (CORCI)
Certified Social Media Intelligence Analyst (SMIA)
Certified Social Media Intelligence Expert (CSMIE)
Certified in Open Source Intelligence (C|OSINT)
Certified Artificial Intelligence & Investigations Expert (CAIIE)
Certified Executive Leader (CEL)
04 · Trajectory
Career milestones.
Pre-2010
Law Enforcement & Loss Prevention
Served as a law-enforcement officer and loss-prevention executive — the field experience that shapes every Institute curriculum.
2010
Founded McAfee Institute
Launched the Institute to train corporations and law-enforcement agencies in fraud detection and cyber investigations.
2010
Social-Media Investigation Course
Launched what would become a flagship program — teaching investigators to identify suspects and gather prosecutable intelligence from open online sources.
2011
Human-Trafficking Mission Begins
Casework expands from fraud into human trafficking; Institute-trained investigators begin recovering victims at scale.
2013
Featured by Inc. Magazine
Profiled in Inc. (Aug 2013) — "How a Data-Sleuth Helps Battle Human Trafficking."
2013–2014
Inc. 500 Fastest-Growing Company
Ranked #35 overall on the Inc. 500 and #1 in the Education category; also recorded at #213 during the 2013–2014 inclusion period.
2017
Sustained High Growth
Still recognized as one of the fastest-growing private companies in the Inc. 500 rankings as of May 2017.
2018
Certified Cryptocurrency Forensic Investigator
Launched the CCFI program to train investigators in cryptocurrency crime — the first accredited certification of its kind.
Today
Setting the Global Standard
Board-certified credentials adopted across law-enforcement, military, government, and Fortune 500 security teams worldwide.
05 · Media & Press
Coverage and recognition.
Selected commentary and references — replace placeholders with verified citations.
Entrepreneurs are often described in heroic terms. But few wear the white hat as well as Josh McAfee.
Josh McAfee's work on cybercrime led to an unexpected place: the dark world of human trafficking.
Since 2011, our company has helped bring back about 1,900 human-trafficking victims, 1,000 of them kids.
If the criminals choose to leverage innovative technology to facilitate their activities, then law enforcement must do the same.
06 · Publications & Speaking
Writing, keynotes, and interviews.
How A Data-Sleuth Helps Battle Human Trafficking ↗
Inc. Magazine · Issie Lapowsky · Aug 2013
Press ReleaseAmerica Leads the World in Cryptocurrency Crime ↗
PR.com · McAfee Institute · Aug 2018
Social-Media Investigations
Flagship curriculum launched 2010
Human-Trafficking Investigations
150–200 professionals trained per month
Certified Cryptocurrency Forensic Investigator
CCFI · launched 2018
Cybercrime, Fraud & The Open-Source Operator
Available for keynotes and corporate briefings
06 · Contact
Press, speaking, and advisory inquiries.
For interviews, keynote invitations, and advisory engagements.