R3 Digital Forensics Welcomes Allyn Lynd, FBI Veteran and Expert in Digital Forensics, Cybercrime, and Incident Response
The move expands R3’s services to include cybersecurity incident response and risk assessment & mitigation, as well as allowing R3 to offer Governance, Risk, and Compliance services. His arrival reunites a former federal prosecutor and former FBI agent who led the fight against cybercrime in North Texas in the 1990s.
R3 Digital Forensics, a leading provider of digital forensics and eDiscovery services, announced the addition of Allyn Lynd as Director of Incident Response and Senior Digital Forensics Examiner.
Lynd, a seasoned digital forensics expert with over 25 years of experience, has led investigations for the FBI, a major health insurer, one of the credit bureaus, and top cybersecurity firms. His expertise spans cybercrime, cybersecurity incident response, and data recovery. With a background in law enforcement and a track record of success in complex investigations — including leading the Dallas portion of the digital investigation of the 9/11 hijackers — Lynd is a trusted advisor for organizations seeking to investigate cyber issues, protect digital assets, and mitigate cyber risks.
Lynd spent his last six years in the FBI as the Lab Director of the North Texas Regional Computer Forensic Laboratory (NTRCFL), an innovative, multi-agency initiative created to tackle the growing volume and importance of digital evidence in law enforcement. Reid Wittliff, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Texas and one of R3’s founders, helped lead the Department of Justice’s effort to create and launch the NTRCFL.
Lynd’s joining of R3 marks a reunion with Wittliff as the two worked hand-in-hand in the 1990s to combat cybercrime in North Texas.
"This is a reunion Allyn and I have been looking forward to for years,” Wittliff said. “Allyn and I worked together as agent and investigator in the early days of the federal government’s efforts to combat cybercrime. And now we’re coming back together to help private companies investigate cyber issues and protect their sensitive and confidential data.”
Cybercrime has become a significant threat to U.S. businesses, and the risk is growing. Nearly 70 percent of U.S. businesses were targeted last year, with roughly one-third of those businesses being hit with a successful attack, according to Verizon, IBM, Forrester, and other industry-leading annual reports. In its annual cybercrime report, the FBI said there were more than 21,000 cybercrime complaints from businesses and individuals in 2023, causing $2.7 billion in losses.
Lynd’s move to R3 marks more than a reunion – it greatly expands R3’s services, including:
Incident response: Responding to cybersecurity incidents (such as hacks or breaches and ransomware demands) to identify the scope and source of the breach, as well as necessary remediation and execution of that remediation.
Governance and risk compliance (GRC): Setting, monitoring, and complying with standards to reduce risk and better prepare for ongoing threats. This service also includes proactive threat reduction and the design and implementation of policies to reduce the chance of future incidents.
"Reid, Roy Rector, and their team have already made a name for themselves as the most distinguished digital forensics provider in Texas,” Lynd said. “I’m looking forward to working with this incredibly talented team to grow the firm’s ability to help Texas businesses face the growing threat from cybercrime."