Emily Smith Email & Phone Number

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

As an integral member of Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's (CISA) flagship collaborative, the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC), unifies cyber defenders worldwide to gather, analyze, and share actionable cyber risk information, fostering a resilient cybersecurity ecosystem. Through the JCDC framework, orchestrates and enhances global cyber capabilities by collaborating with international Computer Emergency Response Teams (CERTs) and manages operational global cybersecurity partnerships, facilitating bilateral and multilateral exchange of actionable intelligence to address the dynamic landscape of cyber threats collectively. During crises, offers technical assistance and guidance to international counterparts in investigating and mitigating cyber incidents, identifying cybersecurity problem areas and recommending solutions to fix problems, bolstering global cybersecurity resilience. Directly interfaces with agency and interagency leaders during cyber incidents of national significance, assessing and providing strategic direction for resolving mission-critical issues, policies, and procedures.

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

Supported the Office of Technology Innovation and Engineering (TIE) within the Directorate of Cyber and Technology Security (CTS) and played a pivotal role to enhance cybersecurity capabilities for the present and future Department of State (DoS) programs related to emerging technology and facility operations. The primary focus was to develop and enforce a robust security architecture, crucial for defending, deterring, and detecting cyber threats against Departmental assets. Within this framework, the Policy & Awareness Program took charge to establish, maintain, and disseminate comprehensive cybersecurity policies and standards. This encompassed areas such as computer security, communications security, and network security, to ensure a unified and secure approach across the Department. As part of the commitment to proactive risk management, the Special Exceptions Team conducted technical risk assessments which provided crucial support to the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) in responding to inquiries and requests from IT professionals responsible for securing and maintaining Department of State information systems globally. Furthermore, the Special Exceptions Team assumed responsibility to manage responses to inquiries and/or questions directed to the AskISSO mailbox. This multifaceted approach ensured that cybersecurity measures remained adaptive, responsive, and aligned with the evolving landscape of cyber threats faced by the Department of State. Assisted with developing and executing strategic communications initiatives including identifying target audiences; developing core and key messaging; developing high-quality materials; and assisting with tracking program metrics and developing reports for leadership.

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

Contributed to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) by actively supporting the Cybersecurity Division's (CSD) Operational Collaboration (OC) Partnerships branch. In this role within the International Partnerships team, the focus was on advancing leadership priorities and policies critical for the successful execution of DHS's cybersecurity, infrastructure security, and emergency communications missions. As a key member of the International Partnerships team, played a pivotal role in fostering collaborations to elevate the effectiveness of CISA's cybersecurity relations across borders. Leveraged a deep understanding of prevailing cyber threats and vulnerabilities, the team spearheaded coordinated cyber information sharing initiatives with trusted foreign partners. This collaborative approach aimed to collectively manage international cyber incidents and enhance internal understanding and awareness of global threats. Was responsible for coordinating cyber operational activities and facilitating information sharing on an international scale through bilateral and multilateral engagements, formal written agreements, and informal interactions within the global community. These efforts were conducted on behalf of the United States, CISA, and CSD, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation in managing and mitigating cyber threats. Provided mission-critical support to CISA, aligning operational collaboration with international partners with the strategic direction set by senior leadership. This role played a crucial part in enhancing the global cyber resilience framework and strengthening the United States Government's posture in the face of evolving cybersecurity challenges.

Washington, District Of Columbia, United States

Dedicated to spearheading the strategic development of programmatic activities in alignment with Section 405(d) of the Cybersecurity Act of 2015 (CSA) (Public Law 114-113) focused on "Aligning Health Care Industry Security Approaches" and the Health Sector Cybersecurity Coordination Center (HC3). Led the 405(d) Program Support Team with a mission to enhance awareness, advocate for vetted cybersecurity practices, and guide organizations towards a unified approach in mitigating the sector's most pressing cybersecurity threats. Played a pivotal role in assisting healthcare and public health organizations in formulating meaningful cybersecurity objectives and achieving tangible outcomes. Oversaw day-to-day engagement with healthcare stakeholders, managed public-private partnerships, facilitated large-scale meetings, tracked partnership interactions, and established meeting cadences to ensure effective collaboration and progress.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Served in a leadership role on the USCIS Deputy Chief Information Security Officer’s Operations team, overseeing strategic operations, program management, communications, and the development, implementation, and enforcement of security training. Contributed to policies and procedures development and promulgation, as well as overall knowledge management for the Information Security Division (ISD). Led the redesign of the SharePoint site for ISD and its Branches. Provided support to the Risk Management Branch (RMB), participating in the establishment, implementation, and maintenance of IT Security policies and procedures across all USCIS systems. Ensured the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information stored, processed, and transmitted in alignment with the Agency's mission.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Supported the Office of the Chief Information Officer within DHS HQ. Assisted in the implementation of the DHS enterprise-wide cybersecurity awareness and training program. Conducted market research, demos, and implemented a new social engineering (phishing) reporting tool for the entire Department. Reviewed tools including products by Wombat, PhishMe, and KnowBe4. Executed the collection, review, and approval of data for the DHS Social Engineering Risk Report. Through close teamwork and communication with the DHS FISMA team, identified, analyzed, reported, and tracked trends on the risk posture of individual Components and the Department based on noncompliance to Federal and Departmental policies, resulting in the mitigation of vulnerabilities at the Departmental level. By analyzing trends in security awareness and integrating best practices from external organizations and academic institutions, assisted in the creation of a new video-based Cyber Awareness program focused on microlearning and worked on managing the planning process to ensure that developed solutions met customer requirements. Elevated Departmental awareness of security issues and ensured alignment of organizational goals and objectives with sound security principles and policies.

Washington D.C. Metro Area

Played a lead role in the program development, content development, and launch of the DHS Enterprise Cybersecurity Awareness and Training (ECAT) program, representing the training and assessment arm for all DHS employees. Through strategic communications planning and development, helped launch a campaign at DHS HQ for National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Developed the first Departmental Social Engineering Risk Report Card, a new tool used to analyze and assess Component's cyber maturity through establishing metrics to measure and evaluate performance. Was able to compare Component results with expected results and document discrepancies to identify noncompliance, potential impacts, and risks, tracking trends monthly. Additionally maintained IT security documentation, revising the Rules of Behavior, DHS Sensitive Systems Policy Directive 4300A, and the new Cybersecurity Awareness Annual Training, in response to new requirements and changes in policies.

Brussels Area, Belgium

Covered, analyzed and published information about the ongoing security and defense issues within the European Union, including the breadth of the EU's civil (homeland) security policy, technology and research agendas, and their impact on public and private stakeholders.•Attended policy dialogues, debates, forums, conferences, etc. to collect data, information, and quotes for policy analysts to complete analyses, as well as my own, focusing mostly on cyber security, cyber defense, cyber technologies, and the emerging GDPR requirements•Published 2 analyses, printed in the publication as well as posted online

Washington D.C.

Assisted in formalizing and documenting the business process for the DHS Sensitive Systems Policy Directive 4300A policy change, made decisions on the most efficient methods for updating documentation and other policy changes, to promote best practices and provide transparency in the process to all DHS components. Also assisted in the formation of the Department-wide Information Security Training Working Group (ISTWG) to increase information security training awareness and promote collaboration between components.

Bachelor’S Degree, International Relations And National Security Studies

•Capstone, Security Issues in the 21st Century: Completed a 30+ page capstone project on the securitization of cybersecurity, analyzing.

High School