As assistant general counsel at Microsoft, at his previous jobs at Accenture and IBM, and on social media where he’s a consistent commentator on tech issues, Dennis Garcia has staked his claim as being on the forefront of emerging issues. And especially in today’s data-rich environment, there are few issues as core to a technology company’s business as cybersecurity and privacy.

Taking a cue from “A Tale of Two Cities,” Garcia said, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. When I think about the technology space right now, especially in the data-driven world, I think that’s an accurate summation.”