Star Metro - Sekur Private Data Appoints Retired CIA Senior Intelligence Service Expert John T. Lewis as Chief Technology Officer and Strategic Advisory Board Member

MIAMI, FL / ACCESS Newswire / April 20, 2026 / Sekur Private Data, Inc., a Miami based leading Swiss-hosted cybersecurity, private communications, and defense communications company serving enterprise, government, and defense clients, and wholly owned U.S. based subsidiary of Sekur Private Data (OTCQB:SWISF)(CSE:SKUR)(FRA:GDT0) ("Sekur" or the "Company"), is pleased to announce the appointment of John T. Lewis, a retired CIA Senior Intelligence Service Executive Expert and CIA Trailblazer Medal recipient, as the company's new Chief Technology Officer and a member of its Strategic Advisory Board. Mr. Lewis brings over 34 years of front-line experience in the development, deployment, and leadership of some of the most sensitive technical intelligence capabilities in the U.S. Intelligence Community - making him uniquely qualified to advance Sekur's mission of delivering world-class privacy and secure communications to individuals, enterprises, and governments worldwide.

Securing the Signal: A Career in Defense Communications Comes to Sekur Private Data

Throughout his CIA career, Mr. Lewis was at the forefront of developing secure systems and communications capabilities that operated in the world's most hostile environments. From hands-on engineering of clandestine RF systems to helping lead the CIA's Federal Laboratory and shaping Intelligence Community-wide research strategy, his career was defined by one constant: ensuring that sensitive information and communications remain protected against the most sophisticated adversaries on earth.

That expertise arrives at a pivotal moment for Sekur. The company is actively expanding into military and defense communications markets - sectors where the margin for error is zero and the adversaries are state-level. Mr. Lewis's decades of experience building and operating sensitive capabilities against exactly those adversaries, positions Sekur to meet the rigorous standards demanded by defense and government customers. His appointment signals that Sekur is not merely adapting commercial privacy tools for defense use - it is building a defense-communications capability from the ground up, with leadership that has operated at the sharpest edge of that mission.

A Career Built on Securing the Impossible
John T. Lewis joined the CIA in 1988 as a Technical Operations Officer in the Directorate of Science & Technology's Office of Technical Services, engineering and deploying novel, one-of-a-kind secure systems in support of the CIA's most sensitive missions. His work spanned microprocessor design, RF systems, antenna design, circuit design, and complex device integration - all in environments where failure was not an option and operational security was absolute.

Over the following two decades, he served as Senior Program Manager and Technical Developer for the CIA's Information Operations Center (1999-2006) and the Office of Technical Collection (2006-2009), leading complex R&D, production, and deployment efforts for Information Operations and RF MASINT capabilities in partnership with industry, academia, and National Laboratories. It was this work that earned him the CIA Trailblazer Medal in 2007 - recognition reserved for officers who develop groundbreaking capabilities that fundamentally advance the CIA's mission.

Mr. Lewis subsequently served in the Directorate of Operations as Senior Technical Operations Officer in Latin America (2009-2013), Deputy Chief of Station (2013-2016), and Chief of Science & Technology for a DO Division (2016-2018) - roles that gave him deep operational insight into how adversaries exploit vulnerabilities in communications and data security, and what it takes to defeat them.

In the final phase of his CIA career, John Lewis served as Senior Scientist in the Directorate of Science & Technology's Global Reach Office before being selected to help establish and lead the CIA Research Labs - the CIA's first chartered Federal Laboratory. As Deputy Director and Chief Technology Officer from 2020 to 2023, he helped build the organization from scratch, developing research strategies, standing up Innovation Accelerator Centers, and launching the CIA's Intellectual Property Management Program. He retired from the CIA in 2023 after 34 years of distinguished service.

John Lewis stated, "I am honored to have the opportunity to be a part of the Sekur team. Having worked with the outstanding group at Sekur for the past few months, I have seen first-hand the drive and commitment to providing a unique, secure environment to protect sensitive communication and engagement without the potential liabilities of "secure" communications apps that have become commonplace. I look forward to the opportunity to help shape the future of Sekur and their efforts to develop and deliver new capabilities and enhanced user experiences while protecting the interests of Government, business, and individuals. Based upon my experiences, I see a direct need for the Sekur tool suite, and positive impacts from those capabilities. I see examples every day that would benefit from these tools. Working with Sekur to develop an on-prem model for their tool suite will provide a unique, and managed, trusted platform for enabling secure email and messaging with confidence for Government mission needs."

Alain Ghiai, CEO of Sekur, commented: "We are thrilled to welcome John Lewis to the Sekur family. His career at the CIA represents the gold standard of technical intelligence expertise - the kind of real-world experience protecting communications against nation-state-level threats that simply cannot be replicated in the commercial sector. Having John as our CTO and on our Strategic Advisory Board will accelerate our technology roadmap, deepen our push into military and defense communications, and establish Sekur as a trusted leader in Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) protection - a rapidly growing requirement across defense contractors, federal agencies, and government supply chains worldwide. John's appointment reinforces our commitment to being the world's most trusted platform for secure, private communications at every classification level."

Mr. Lewis's Role at Sekur Private Data

As Chief Technology Officer of Sekur Private Data Inc., Mr. Lewis will lead Sekur's technology strategy and product development direction, bringing an intelligence community perspective to the company's suite of secure communication products. He will work closely with Sekur's engineering teams to evaluate and enhance the security architecture underlying SekurMessenger, SekurMail, SekurVPN and its STMR (Sekur Tactical Mobile Router) and the upcoming SekurPhone, and will guide the company's approach to emerging threats and privacy-preserving technologies.

As a member of the Strategic Advisory Board, Mr. Lewis will advise Sekur's executive leadership on technology roadmap priorities, government and enterprise market opportunities, Intelligence Community and national security sector partnerships, and the evolving global threat landscape as it relates to private data and secure communications.

About John T. Lewis

John T. Lewis is a retired CIA Senior Intelligence Service Executive Expert with 34 years of service across the CIA's Directorate of Science & Technology, Directorate of Operations, and Directorate of Digital Innovation. He is the recipient of the CIA Career Intelligence Medal and the CIA Trailblazer Medal, a four-time recipient of the DS&T John A. McCone Award for Excellence in Science & Technology, and a member of the CIA DS&T Senior Technical Service. He holds a B.S. in Computer Science from Arizona State University and an M.S. in Systems Engineering from George Mason University and is a certified Program Manager and Contracting Officer's Technical Representative (Level 3). Mr. Lewis currently serves as Teaching Faculty and Business Engagement Director at Arizona State University's Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering and as Co-PI for the ASU Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence.

Sekur Core Defense & Government Communications Solutions
Sekur delivers mission-critical secure communications engineered for operation within and outside the Sekur network, bypassing traditional telecommunications infrastructure and eliminating exposure to interception, signals exploitation, phone record compromise, and network surveillance. No Sekur solution data mines or location tracks its operators. All solutions are built on proprietary architecture with zero reliance on Big Tech infrastructure or open-source code - purpose-built for defense, intelligence community, and federal agency operational environments. Government and defense deployments are supported by on-premises infrastructure options for full data sovereignty and operational control.

SekurMail - Secure Command & Operational Email
A defense-grade encrypted email platform engineered for personnel operating at the command level across military, federal agency, and intelligence community environments. Built on proprietary architecture with zero Big Tech dependencies and no metadata tracking, SekurMail ensures that mission-sensitive communications remain strictly compartmented between sender and recipient. Operational capabilities include SekurSend/SekurReply for secure transmission to non-Sekur personnel without exposing operator identities or message content; full message delivery control and audit capability; encrypted file transfer; custom domain support for organizational integration; and active countermeasures against phishing, social engineering, and Business Email Compromise (BEC) attacks targeting command and administrative networks.

SekurMessenger - Field-Ready Secure Messaging & Collaboration
A hardened, field-deployable secure messaging platform providing end-to-end encrypted text, file transfer, voice recordings, and collaboration capabilities for personnel operating in sensitive, denied, or contested environments. Features include self-destructing messages for operational security, encrypted file transfers, and compliance-grade archiving for after-action and audit requirements. Cross-network secure communications with non-Sekur personnel are supported via Chat-by-Invite - enabling secure coordination with external mission partners without network compromise. Each operator is assigned a unique Sekur ID for identity vetting and contact authentication, with no phone number required - preserving personnel anonymity and OPSEC integrity across all operational environments.

SekurVPN - Defense-Grade Network Security & Identity Protection
A military-standard Virtual Private Network leveraging proprietary HeliX encryption technology, engineered to provide secure internet access, identity obfuscation, and traffic protection for personnel operating in sensitive, forward-deployed, or hostile environments. SekurVPN maintains zero data logging, ensuring no operator activity record exists that could be exploited through legal process, network compromise, or adversarial collection. Purpose-built for use cases where standard commercial VPN solutions present unacceptable counterintelligence and operational security risk.

SekurRelay - Command-Level Secure Email Integration
An enterprise-grade secure email relay solution that enables domain splitting - allowing organizations to establish secure communications at the command, executive, or senior staff level without requiring full organizational migration or infrastructure overhaul. SekurRelay eliminates one of the most significant barriers to large-scale defense and government deployment, enabling phased adoption that protects the highest-value personnel and communications immediately while broader organizational implementation proceeds. Designed for defense contractors, federal agencies, and IC components requiring rapid, low-friction elevation of communications security at the command tier.

SekurVoice - Encrypted Voice & Video for Sensitive Operations
A fully encrypted voice and video communications platform engineered on proprietary HeliX data transfer architecture, purpose-built to defeat telecom network tracing, resist Pegasus-style malware intrusion, and support Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) handling requirements. SekurVoice is designed for personnel conducting sensitive, covert, or classified-adjacent communications where standard carrier-based voice and video platforms present unacceptable interception and exploitation risk. Call-by-Invite capability via SMS or SekurSend email ensures controlled operator access and eliminates unsolicited contact vectors. Each user is assigned a unique Sekur ID for operational vetting and identity management, with no phone number required - preserving personnel anonymity across all voice and video operations.

About Sekur Private Data

Sekur Private Data is a Swiss-hosted cybersecurity, defense communications, and privacy solutions provider, offering a secure suite of tools to protect governments, defense and federal agencies, businesses, and individuals from unauthorized access and cyber threats. With capabilities such as SekurMail, SekurMessenger, and SekurVPN, Sekur provides a reliable and secure means of digital communication and data storage for Controlled Unclassified Information (CIU), classified-adjacent and civilian communications use, grounded in Swiss privacy standards with on-premises infrastructure for government agencies, allowing for data sovereignty. Sekur sells its solutions through its website www.sekur.com, approved distributors and telecommunications companies globally, and through the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Multiple Award Schedule (MAS), Contract No. 47QTCA18D0089 serving governments, defense institutions, federal agencies, businesses, and consumers worldwide. Sekur's main sales operations are in Miami, USA.

CONTACT
Alain Ghiai
President and Chief Executive Officer
SEKUR PRIVATE DATA LTD.
Email: [email protected]
www.sekurprivatedata.com
Tel: +1.305.347.5114

Follow Sekur on:
X
LinkedIn
YouTube

For sales brochure on our enterprise security solutions, or partnership opportunities, contact: [email protected].

To find out more about Sekur's privacy communications solutions visit: https://sekur.com

For more company information, please visit: https://sekurprivatedata.com

Forward-Looking Information
This news release contains certain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "achieve", "could", "believe", "plan", "intend", "objective", "continuous", "ongoing", "estimate", "outlook", "expect", "project" and similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes or that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they do not guarantee future performance. Sekur cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond Sekur's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the future of the Company's business; the success of marketing and sales efforts of the Company; the projections prepared in house and projections delivered by channel partners; the Company's ability to complete the necessary software updates; increases in sales as a result of investments software development technology; consumer interest in the Products; future sales plans and strategies; reliance on large channel partners and expectations of renewals to ongoing agreements with these partners; anticipated events and trends; the economy and other future conditions; and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in Sekur's prospectus dated May 8, 2019, filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available on www.sedarplus.ca. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, Sekur undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

SOURCE: Sekur Private Data, Inc.

View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire

M.Johnson--SMC