George Perera

Bio

Major George Perera is the Commander of the Miami-Dade Police Department’s Strategic Innovation and High Technology Crimes Bureau (SIHTCB) and the South Florida Cyber Crime Task Force. The largest cyber task force in the country. SIHTCB has the primary responsibility of investigating all facets of technology-related crimes as well as identifying new technology for the department. Additionally, he performs special projects of departmental interest and serves as the departmental research body to assist in recommending and establishing new and innovative ideas as well as best practices. A sworn member of the department for over 30 years, he has worked in everything from Patrol to Major Crime Investigations, from Administration to Technology.

Perera serves as vice chair of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) Computer Crimes and Digital Evidence (CCDE) Committee and chair of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) SAFECOM Cybersecurity working group. He is also a Department of Justice, National Institute of Justice, Technology Grant Evaluator. He is a nationally recognized subject matter expert for the DHS and a member of multiple Cyber Security Working Groups. He is frequently called upon by the DHS as well as the IACP to participate in policy-related forums as well as speaking engagements. Perera is a NENA Emergency Number Professional (ENP) since 2005; has earned a Bachelor of Science from Florida International University, a Master of Public Administration at Lynn University, and a Master’s degree in Security Studies at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School.

Major Perera is an adjunct instructor in the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs at Florida International University where he teaches courses in digital crimes. He is also the Acting Director of the Cybersecurity Master’s program at St. Thomas University School of Law where he teaches courses in cybersecurity.