In 2002, Joe Sullivan was recruited to eBay during a pivotal time as the company faced the challenge of being the first major global e-commerce platform. He served as Senior Director for Trust and Safety, overseeing fraud investigations, acceptable use policies, and a legal team tackling regulatory issues that existing laws hadn’t anticipated.



After four years combating e-commerce fraud and cybercrime, Joe transitioned to PayPal to lead the North America Legal Team and briefly served as acting General Counsel. Even in a legal role, he remained closely involved with security efforts—most notably helping launch one of the first responsible disclosure programs with PayPal’s infosec team, laying the groundwork for modern bug bounty practices.

Joe Sullivan spent the first eight years of his career as an attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice, where he eventually specialized in technology-related crimes. In 1997, he received technical training and joined the DOJ’s Computer and Telecommunications Crime Coordinator program, earning national recognition for his work on groundbreaking cybercrime cases—including digital support during the 9/11 investigation.



Though he left government service in 2002, Joe has remained deeply involved in public safety efforts. He has testified before Congress on internet safety, served on the National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention, and was appointed by President Obama to the Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity. He has advised the Department of Homeland Security and spoken at leading safety conferences nationwide.