(ISC)² Blog

CISSP Spotlight: Amy Mitchell

Name: Amy Mitchell Title: Managed Services Engineer Employer: KnowBe4 Location: Clearwater, FL, U.S. Education: Associates of Science Years in IT: 6 Years in cybersecurity: 4 Cybersecurity certifications: Security+, CISSP How did you decide upon a career in cybersecurity? I realized how important PCI DSS security is when I worked in the service industry. From there, I worked in network security for point of sale systems and have now moved to KnowBe4. I help teach people about cybersecurity awareness around the world. Why did you decide to pursue your CISSP? I interact and work with CISSPs on a regular basis. I... Read more →

HCISPP Spotlight: Ramana Krothapalli

Name: Ramana Krothapalli Title: Consultant - Information Security & GRC Employer: Self-Employed Location: Hyderabad, India Education: M.Sc., PGDCA Years in IT: 7 Years in cybersecurity and/or privacy: 17 Cybersecurity certifications: CISSP, HCISSP, CISA, CISM, ISO 27001 LA How did you decide upon a career in healthcare security and/or privacy? It’s rather a chance than a choice. As the chief information security officer (CISO) of a software development firm, I was tasked to implement information security and privacy in multiple healthcare development projects. I am happy that I could contribute to security of healthcare. Why did you decide to pursue your... Read more →

HCISPP Spotlight: Shawn O’Reilly

Name: Shawn O’Reilly Title: Information Security Officer Employer: SUNY Upstate Medical University Location: Syracuse, New York Education: Master’s in Information Management, Syracuse University Years in IT: 25 Years in cybersecurity and/or privacy: 20 Cybersecurity certifications: CISSP, CCSP, HCISPP, CISM, CISA How did you decide upon a career in healthcare security and privacy? The opportunity to move into a healthcare security and privacy career presented itself about 15 years ago when I was searching for a new job. I was previously employed by a Big 4 accounting firm, where I got my start as a cybersecurity consultant. I was looking to... Read more →

HCISPP Spotlight: George Chacko

Name: George Chacko Title: Senior Manager, Information Security Employer: New York Blood Center Location: New York, NY, U.S. Education: State University of New York at Buffalo Years in cybersecurity and/or privacy: 14 Cybersecurity certifications: CISSP, HCISPP How did you decide upon a career in healthcare security and/or privacy? After starting my career in financial services as an information security professional, I knew that the healthcare industry was an area in which experienced resources were needed due to the rise in major breaches of medical records and personal healthcare information. I had many family and friends in different roles in healthcare... Read more →

HCISPP Spotlight: Ana Ferreira

Name: Ana Ferreira Title: Doctor Employer: Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto Location: Porto, Portugal Education: BSc in Computer Science, MSc in Information Security, PhD in Computer Science Years in IT: 20 Years in cybersecurity and/or privacy: 16 Cybersecurity certifications: CISSP, HCISPP How did you decide upon a career in healthcare security and/or privacy? After I graduated in 1998, I went to work for a healthcare education institution as a researcher and IT specialist. After a few years, I realized that security and privacy, especially in the domain of healthcare, were crucial... Read more →

CISSP Spotlight: Shinji Abe

Name: Shinji Abe Title: Director Employer: NTT Security (Japan) KK Degree: Bachelor of Science, Master of Science in Quantum Physics Years in IT: 11 Years in cybersecurity: 7 Cybersecurity certifications: CISSP How did you decide upon a career in cybersecurity? I started my career as a system engineer. I became involved in information security after some systems managed that I was managing received vulnerability assessments. That was when I realized the importance of cybersecurity. I moved to the security analysis team to focus on security works in 2011. Why did you get your CISSP®? In the beginning of my cybersecurity... Read more →

CISSP Spotlight: Hayato Kiriyama

Name: Hayato Kiriyama Title: Senior Security Solutions Architect Employer: Amazon Web Services Japan K.K. Degree: MBA, Master’s of Science Years in IT: 14 Years in cybersecurity: 8 Cybersecurity certifications: CISSP How did you decide upon a career in cybersecurity? Around 2010, I was involved in developing an application for Data Loss Protection at IBM. Such a data-oriented approach looked quite different to me because it was connected with the value of data in the business. It was this kind of business-oriented security which I wanted to research and develop further. Why did you get your CISSP? When I was working... Read more →

CISSP-ISSAP Spotlight: Patrick Liu

Name: Patrick Wai Keun Liu Title: Deputy Chief Information Security Officer Employer: DBS Bank (Hong Kong) Limited Degree: Computer Engineering Years in IT: 20 Years in cybersecurity: 15+ Cybersecurity certifications: CISSP-ISSAP, CRISC, CGEIT, CIA, CISA, ABCP How did you decide upon a career in cybersecurity? I started my cybersecurity career as a customized professional service for a high-end customer. I was working in an ISP and the company provided network connectivity services. My team focused on new initiatives and we believed security had potential. I have dedicated myself to this area ever since. Why did you get your CISSP-ISSAP? As... Read more →

HCISPP Spotlight: Rema Deo

Name: Rema Deo Title: Managing Director Employer: 24By7Security, Inc. Location: Coral Springs, Florida Education: MBA Years in IT: 25+ Years in Cybersecurity: 5+ Cybersecurity Certifications: HCISPP How did you decide upon a career in healthcare security and/or privacy? I have been in risk management technology and compliance technology career for banking for several years, so when it was time for a change, Cybersecurity and Compliance related work was a logical next choice. 24By7Security has a client portfolio consisting of healthcare organizations as well as several other industries. Healthcare security and privacy work is still more nascent compared to financial technology,... Read more →

Meet Your Cybersecurity Advocate: 5 Questions with Tony Vizza

Tony Vizza, CISSP, is the newest addition to the (ISC)² Cybersecurity Advocacy team! Based in Sydney, Australia, Tony works with corporations, government agencies and academic institutions to encourage collaboration across the industry, effective cybersecurity curriculums and strong legislation to attract and enable the workforce we need to manage the Asia-Pacific region’s most critical security issues. Tony has worked in the field for more than 25 years and has earned the CISSP certification, as well as the CRISC, CISM and is certified as an ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Auditor. To get to know Tony a bit better, we asked him five questions... Read more →

CCSP Spotlight: Dr. Mari Spina

Name: Dr. Mari Spina Title: Principal Cyber Security Engineer Employer: The MITRE Corporation Division: MITRE Cyber Security Technical Center Degree: BSME, MSEE, Doctor of Science Engineering Management Years in IT: 26 Years in cybersecurity: 9 Cybersecurity certifications: CISSP, ISSEP, CCSP How did you decide upon a career in cybersecurity? As a U.S. Government contractor since the late 80s, I’ve worked to combat an ever increasing, continuously morphing cyber warfare threat. Frankly, I want to be sure that the U.S. remains strong in its defenses on both military and industrial fronts. I feel this is simply the best way for me... Read more →

#ICANDOCYBER: Denise Murtagh-Dunne

by Denise Murtagh-Dunne, Information Security Manager, PWC Ireland From my early childhood, I developed a passion for unravelling the mysteries of how machines worked. My father was a mechanic and, as a child, he would let me help taking car engines apart. This is where I first developed a fascination with getting “under the hood” of machines and understanding their inner mechanics. At school, I then took a computer module which triggered my interest in computing and I chose to study Computer Programming in college. I survived the period of the dot-com bubble bursting and landed an IT technical support... Read more →

SSCP Spotlight: Kreesan Govender

Name: Kreesan Govender Title: Information Security Risk and Compliance Specialist Employer: MiWay Insurance (Santam Group) Location: Johannesburg, South Africa Education: National Diploma Computer Network Engineering Years in IT: 5 Years in Cybersecurity: 4 Cybersecurity certifications: SSCP How did you decide upon a career in cybersecurity? I have always found hacking and data breaches interesting since my days at campus, and when I was given the opportunity to start my career within the cybersecurity field, I jumped at the opportunity. Since starting my career in cybersecurity, I have enjoyed every bit and have never looked back. How did you decide to... Read more →

CISSP Spotlight: Paul Bryant

Name: Paul Bryant Title: CIO Employer: phew! Cyber Security Location: Auckland, New Zealand Education: MCom (Hons), LLB (Hons) Years in IT: 20 Years in cybersecurity: 15 Cybersecurity certifications: CISSP How did you decide upon a career in cybersecurity? In my roles designing and managing financial services technology infrastructures and leading technology teams I had a good deal of both technical and non-technical exposure to information security considerations and solutions. It is a complex and ever-changing area that bridges business and technology, and requires both technical and commercial engagement. It is also an area that is under-served in industry. Why did... Read more →

Associate of (ISC)²: Thien Phan

Name: Thien Phan (ISC)² Exams Passed: CISSP and CCSP Title: Cybersecurity, Privacy and IT Risk Associate Employer: PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Location: New York City, NY, U.S.A. Education: MBA degree and Bachelor’s Degree in Management Information Systems (MIS) from Binghamton University Years in IT: 1 year Years in cybersecurity: 1 year Cybersecurity certifications: Security+, CCNA Cyber Ops How did you decide upon a career in cybersecurity? It was back in my third year of college when I interned for a multimedia company as a database administrator. I did not know much about how different technologies worked together. I was introduced to the... Read more →

HCISPP Spotlight: Debi Carr

Name: Debi Carr Title: CEO and Consultant Employer: D. K. Carr and Associates, LLC Location: Christmas, FL, U.S.A. Years in IT: 28 years Years in cybersecurity and/or privacy: 20 years Cybersecurity certifications: HCISPP, CAHIMS How did you decide upon a career in healthcare security and/or privacy? As a practice manager of a healthcare practice, I was appointed the “Privacy and Security” Officer when HIPAA went into effect. I was also responsible for overseeing the technology in the practice through the years. As a result, I began educating myself on security and privacy protocols. Why did you decide to pursue your... Read more →

HCISPP Spotlight: Bryan Bell

Name: Bryan Bell Title: Senior Director, P2PE Employer: Coalfire Systems, Inc. Location: Alpharetta, Georgia, U.S.A. Education: Clayton State University, Computer Science Years in IT: 25+ Years in cybersecurity and/or privacy: 12+ Cybersecurity certifications: HCISPP, HITRUST CSF, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor, CFCP, PCI QSA (PA-P2PE) How did you decide upon a career in healthcare security and/or privacy? I’ve enjoyed working within information technology since high school and through college where I was developing applications and learning systems design and networking. I’ve always been drawn to healthcare security, because there is a continuing dilemma from healthcare providers to balance technology and information... Read more →

Associate of (ISC)² Spotlight: Rachel Phillips

Name: Rachel Phillips, PMP, Assoc. (ISC)² (ISC)² Exam(s) Passed: CISSP Title: Cybersecurity Analyst Location: Seattle, WA, U.S.A. Education: M.S. Information Technology (Security and Assurance) and B.S. Business Administration (New Media and Internet), Kaplan University Years in IT: 10 Years in Cybersecurity: 3 Cybersecurity Certifications: Associate of (ISC)² Rachel Phillips, PMP, Assoc. (ISC)² is an influencer and sought-after contributor for her views and leadership in technology and security. She holds a Master’s in IT with emphasis in Information Security and Assurance, and a Bachelor’s in Business Administration from Kaplan University. As a cybersecurity analyst, she provides oversight and assurance of meeting... Read more →

SSCP Spotlight: Wai Sheng Cheng

Name: Wai Sheng Cheng Title: Security Analyst Employer: Cboe Global Markets Location: Kansas, U.S.A. Degree: Master of Science, Information Systems Engineering, Johns Hopkins University Years in IT: 6 Years in information security: 3 Cybersecurity certifications: SSCP How did you decide upon a career in cybersecurity? I decided on a career in cybersecurity when my email account was first compromised in 2011. I learned about this when my friends and family called to ask if I had sent out emails asking for money. As an engineer-in-training, I was curious to know why and how this had happened. It was through this... Read more →

SSCP Spotlight: Timothy Meryweather

Name: Timothy Meryweather Title: IT Auditor Location: Greater Los Angeles Area Degree: Bachelor of Science Years in information security: 6 Cybersecurity certifications: SSCP (ISACA: CISA, CRISC) How did you decide upon a career in cybersecurity? Our Audit Department’s Senior IT Auditor needed help and I was transferred from Background Licensing. Right place, right time. I possess a guardian spirit and have mostly worked in similar areas of employment: U.S. Marine, Deputy Sheriff, Police Officer, Private Security/Life Safety, casino surveillance, background licensing investigator. With my investigative training background, it was a natural migration into auditing the cybersecurity of information technology. Why... Read more →