Justin Bucelato

Technical Director @ National Security Agency

About

Most cybersecurity executives understand the threat landscape. Most AI/ML practitioners understand the models. Very few understand both from the inside, and almost none have operated at the scale where getting it wrong has national consequences. I am one of those few. As Technical Director of the National Cybersecurity Operations Center, I lead a 24/7 federated SOC where AI and machine learning are operational reality. I directed AI integration into threat intelligence workflows—moving from concept through architecture, testing, and live deployment—improving signal quality, cutting false positives, and compressing time-to-resolution across a large team. Security operator, ML practitioner, and executive sponsor simultaneously—because no single role alone could have done it. That intersection is where I live—and where the most consequential security decisions are increasingly made. The threat landscape has fundamentally shifted. Adversaries are using AI to accelerate attack cycles, automate reconnaissance, and generate synthetic content at scale. Defending against that requires leaders who understand how models work, where they fail, and how to build governance frameworks and security programs around AI—not bolt security on afterward. I have established responsible AI policy, access controls, audit logging, and governance review structures for AI-augmented classified workflows. Organizations that build this capability deliberately will pull ahead. Those that don't will spend years cleaning up breaches they never saw coming. I am completing an M.S. in Data Analytics at Georgia Tech because cybersecurity executives leading AI-integrated programs need genuine computational depth, not vendor talking points. I have also led digital transformation—modernizing legacy security frameworks into agile, data-driven operational models and achieving 30% readiness gains—and governed compliance programs across NIST, FedRAMP, CMMC, and ISO frameworks. I have secured $84M+ in capital funding, delivered executive risk intelligence briefings to Directorate and C-suite leadership, and built cultures where engineers think critically and leaders develop naturally—where failure is measured in national security terms. Pursuing VP Cybersecurity, VP AI Security, or Deputy CISO—remote or hybrid—where IC-grade operational standards, 25 years of security leadership, and genuine ML depth meet an organization ready to treat AI security as a core discipline. CISSP · TS/SCI with Full-Scope Polygraph

Country

United States

City

Annapolis

Industry

Computer Software

Skill

Critical Thinking, Network Infrastructure Analysis, OSINT Methodology and Frameworks, Data Archiving and Documentation, Operational Security (OPSEC), Reporting & Analysis, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Workspace, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), NIST, Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), Amazon EC2, Amazon S3, Center for Internet Security (CIS) Benchmarks, Microsoft 365, Cybersecurity Strategy, Threat Intelligence, Program Management, Strategic Planning

Experience

Technical Director

National Security Agency

2021-6 - Present · 5 yrs 4 mos

Maryland, United States

Serve as the executive leader for a 24/7 Cybersecurity Operations Center (NCSOC) collaborating with a 43-person team. Responsible for the strategic defense of global enterprise assets, budget allocation, and technical modernization. Strategic Transformation & ROI: Spearheaded a digital transformation roadmap that improved operational effectiveness by 20%. Modernized legacy frameworks into agile, data-driven security operations suitable for high-velocity environments. Executive Governance: Serve as a key advisor to the Directorate and Board-level leadership, translating complex cyber risks into actionable business intelligence to support strategic decision-making. AI & Data Innovation: Integrated advanced AI-driven technologies to automate threat detection, significantly enhancing predictive analytics capabilities and reducing mean-time-to-detect (MTTD). Operational Excellence: Led a comprehensive health turnaround of the NCSOC, achieving a 30% increase in operational readiness and situational awareness across 7 federated cyber centers. Incident Response Optimization: Optimized key performance indicators (KPIs) for monitoring and logging, resulting in a 20% improvement in rapid threat detection capabilities.

Manager, Identity & Digital Risk Management

Defense Intelligence Agency

2016-11 - 2021-6 · 4 yrs 8 mos

Maryland, United States

A Joint Duty Assignment (JDA) at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) was designed to broaden identity and risk management perspectives while providing hands-on experience supporting national security missions. Capital Planning & Capture: Successfully built the business case and secured $84 million in funding for an enterprise-wide identity modernization project, effectively scaling operational scope and capabilities. Risk Mitigation Strategy: Designed and executed innovative counter-surveillance strategies that improved digital privacy effectiveness by 30%, mitigating risks related to emerging technology threats. Process Engineering: Streamlined compliance training workflows, reducing time-to-competency by 25% while reinforcing strict security protocols. Operational Integrity: Enhanced tracking accuracy by 15% through the strategic optimization of identity data management Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs).

Technology Infrastructure Manager

National Security Agency

2010-6 - 2016-6 · 6 yrs 1 mo

Maryland, United States

Infrastructure Modernization: Secured $4.3 million for critical infrastructure upgrades, overseeing the lifecycle from procurement to deployment. Compliance & Audit Success: Maintained a 100% compliance record by aligning lifecycle plans with rigorous security standards (equivalent to NIST 800-53/SOC 2 controls). Cloud Strategy: Directed the enterprise technology strategy for private-cloud operations, enhancing overall operational efficiency by 20%. Resiliency Architecture: Achieved a 30% decrease in security incidents and improved system resilience by 20% through the implementation of high-availability designs and robust disaster recovery planning. Change Management: Drove a 30% adoption rate of new containerization technologies by establishing clear strategic roadmaps and stakeholder engagement plans.

Information System Security Officer (ISSO)

National Security Agency

2008-6 - 2010-6 · 2 yrs 1 mo

Maryland, United States

Risk Management Framework (RMF): Managed the entire process of choosing, evaluating, and continuously checking security controls to ensure that important information systems remain private, trustworthy, and accessible. Security Configuration & Hardening: Enforced Security Technical Implementation Guides (STIGs) by applying and validating DISA-approved baselines across all hardware and software, effectively hardening the infrastructure against vulnerabilities.