Member since October 2025
Ann Westerheim, PhD is the Founder and President of Ekaru, a Technology Service Provider of cybersecurity and IT services for small and medium businesses in the greater Boston area. Ann is an accomplished technology innovator and leader with three engineering degrees from MIT. She has more than twenty years of high tech experience in research, advanced development, product development, and as an entrepreneur. Her career has spanned a vast range of technology endeavors including research in thin film semiconductors and superconductors, microprocessor fabrication, development of early Internet medical applications, and now focusing on the application of technology in business. She has an avid focus on the "last mile" of technology and decreasing the digital divide. Ann is the author of Cybersecurity For Main Street: Cyber Fit in 21 Days.
I believe technology should benefit EVERYONE, not just big tech. There are a lot of smart and affordable things everyone can do to stay safe online. Whether you're a local non profit organization trying to create a WISP - Written Information Security Plan as required by the Massachusetts Data Security Law, a local machine shop struggling with CMMC compliance, an independent medical office working to comply with HIPAA standards, or a Board of Directors meeting compliance standards, there are many things you can do to strengthen cybersecurity. Did you know? Insurance companies and all cybersecurity compliance standards REQUIRE ongoing cybersecurity awareness training? I'd like to provide a way to get started.
During a cybersecurity awareness training session I once shared a story about a bizarre scam where a victim spent hours withdrawing cash and trying to convert it to Bitcoin for a criminal. It sounded so unbelievable that I assumed most people would think it was a one-off case. But during the talk, two people in the audience raised their hands and said they knew someone who had fallen for the exact same scam. That’s when it hit me: cybersecurity awareness isn’t about checklists. It’s about conversations. When people share stories, the threat suddenly becomes real.
Technology has always been my passion. I started my career in the semiconductor industry, working on advanced microprocessors - the building blocks behind modern computing. But when my kids were young, I made a decision that changed everything. Instead of continuing down the traditional big-tech path, I started consulting locally so I could build a business around my family.
What I quickly discovered was a massive gap.
Large corporations had entire IT departments and cybersecurity teams protecting them. Meanwhile, small businesses - the companies that employ most Americans - were being left to figure it out on their own. They were expected to run on the same technology, face the same cyber threats, and compete in the same digital economy… but without the resources.
That didn’t sit right with me. So I made it my mission to bring enterprise-level technology and cybersecurity to Main Street. Today I help local businesses harness technology safely, efficiently, and confidently - because modern tools and real protection shouldn’t be reserved for big tech. Technology is for the 99%.
During a cybersecurity awareness training session I once shared a story about a bizarre scam where a victim spent hours withdrawing cash and trying to convert it to Bitcoin for a criminal. It sounded so unbelievable that I assumed most people would think it was a one-off case. But during the talk, two people in the audience raised their hands and said they knew someone who had fallen for the exact same scam. That’s when it hit me: cybersecurity awareness isn’t about checklists. It’s about conversations. When people share stories, the threat suddenly becomes real.
Technology has always been my passion. I started my career in the semiconductor industry, working on advanced microprocessors - the building blocks behind modern computing. But when my kids were young, I made a decision that changed everything. Instead of continuing down the traditional big-tech path, I started consulting locally so I could build a business around my family.
What I quickly discovered was a massive gap.
Large corporations had entire IT departments and cybersecurity teams protecting them. Meanwhile, small businesses - the companies that employ most Americans - were being left to figure it out on their own. They were expected to run on the same technology, face the same cyber threats, and compete in the same digital economy… but without the resources.
That didn’t sit right with me. So I made it my mission to bring enterprise-level technology and cybersecurity to Main Street. Today I help local businesses harness technology safely, efficiently, and confidently - because modern tools and real protection shouldn’t be reserved for big tech. Technology is for the 99%.