Matthew B. Davis, CISSP

Teaching Areas

• Governance
• Risk
• Compliance

 
Teaching Philosophy or Approach

My teaching philosophy is all about student mentorship and communication. I value constant communication and interaction between students to keep them engaged and learning from each other. My goal is to prepare students to "do the job", not just take a course in the subject area. Students will learn practical skills they can implement immediately, with a focus on industry networking and advancement opportunities. I like to build a long-term connection with my students, where they feel like they can reach out to me for advice and support in the future.

Research Interests and Expertise

Data Privacy Compliance, AI Governance, Specialized Certifications and Attestations within Information Security, Maturity Assessments & Strategic Planning.

Awards and Honors

• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
• Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Fellow of Information Privacy (FIP)
• assisted Dr. Blanke with the creation of the 2026 CAE in Cybersecurity Symposium presentation representing UD
• Founding Vice President of the UD Cybersecurity Club
• won the corporate 2011-2012 Director of the Year award from Sport&Health in my previous career

Professional Engagement and Impact

Currently, Senior Manager of Advisory & Consulting Services with Zaviant, having led data security and privacy client engagements with Genuine Parts Company (GPC), Campbell's Soup, Smucker's, Anne Arundel Community College (AACC), James Cropper, B.F. Saul, Corsair Gaming, Westmoreland Casemanagement and Supports (WCSI), Bremer Bank, Tidewater Financial Services, and more.

 Personal Statement

 I'm motivated through learning, growth, involvement, and achievement. I believe that nothing stays the same, you either move forward or you fall behind. If you have the opportunity in your power to make something better, you always do it. There's no point in being mediocre at anything in life when you can put in preparation and effort to excel at it. I'm one of those people who believe they can accomplish any hard task through planning, strategy, focus, and discipline.

Personal Interest 

I reside in Charleston, SC with my wife and daughter. We travel a lot, like to go on cruises, and travel to my daughter's sporting events for cheer and lacrosse. I've always been a huge college football fan, so Fall is my favorite time of year. Interesting fact about me... I have an MS in Cybersecurity from UD and I'm teaching a course I once took myself, which I think is pretty rare. In my spare time I like to speak at industry conferences and events, and I'm also the current Vice President and Board Member of the ISC2 Charleston Chapter.