Vote Melissa Zicopula, HG VP Managed Services, for Inteligenca’s 2019 Woman Cybersecurity Leader of the Year

June 24, 2019

Herjavec Group is thrilled to announce that Melissa Zicopula, VP Managed Security Services, is a finalist for the Woman Cybersecurity Leader of the Year award.

The Cybersecurity Women of the Year Awards, by Inteligenca, celebrate the amazing women in cybersecurity that break barriers, drive research, influence legislation, and are dedicated to a safer digital ecosystem.

Melissa had a successful career in the government sector prior to joining Herjavec Group in 2015. Her expertise in Cyber Defense Operations was honed through roles with the Department of Defense Computer Network Defense (CND) and the US Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration SOC. During her tenure at DoE NNSA, Melissa had technical oversight of all SOC operations including incident/intrusion triage, security analysis & forensics, DFIR/Incident Response, Threat Management, and Engineering. She was also an active CSIRT member who supported government intrusion cases. Melissa transitioned her US Federal experience into a private sector role as Executive Director of Global Security Operations for one of the world’s largest gaming organizations where she spearheaded the development of two Global SOCs in less than a year before joining the fast-paced, driven, and innovative team here at Herjavec Group.

As Herjavec Group’s VP of Managed Security Services, Melissa is a champion for SOC Operations, Threat Detection and fanatical customer experience. She oversees a team of 120+ people across the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and India. Under her leadership, Herjavec Group has been recognized as a global leader in Managed Security Services:

  • Earned SOC II Type II practice designation
  • Recognized as an emerging player in Co-Managed SIEM by Gartner Analytics
  • Named a Top 10 MSSP globally by MSSP Alert
  • Ranked as #1 MSSP globally on the Cybersecurity 500
  • Awarded Cyber Defense Magazine “Managed Security Services Leader”
  • Identified as a Security Services Leader by IDC

Melissa has driven the advancement of HG’s Managed Security Service through improved content development within the HG Threat Framework and HG Analytics Platform using technology platform library notable events, offenses, and correlation alerts. She has been integral in our incorporation of Threat Research Frameworks (ex: Mitre, CIS Top 20 and Kill Chain) and provided insight into industry-specific Threat Modelling to advance threat detection for our global customer base.

She is at the forefront in developing the processes and playbooks to accelerate specialized managed services practices including HG Managed Detection & Response, HG Managed Identity Services and HG Workflow Orchestration that meet evolving customer and industry demands. She also led the development of HG’s global SOC infrastructure, building 3 facilities in 3 years in Los Angeles (US), Reading (UK) and Bangalore (IN) to augment HG’s 24/7 SOC operations in Toronto and Ottawa (CAN).

In her spare time, Melissa often builds relationships through mentorship programs at various colleges and universities, hosting programs such as Capture the Flag events for hopeful cybersecurity practitioners.

Vote for Melissa Zicopula for Inteligenca's 2019 Woman Cybersecurity Leader of the Year!

  • Industry-leading expertise in SOC operation and threat detection
  • Background from the Department of Defense and Department of Energy
  • Developed an innovative long-term strategy to augment Herjavec Group’s Managed Services capabilities
  • Mentors female colleagues and advocates for women in technology
  • Demonstrates a passion to build agile teams and enhance staff expertise
  • Engages in community with students interested in pursuing careers in cybersecurity
  • Volunteers at local colleges to participate in initiatives such as Capture the Flag (CTF)

Melissa Zicopula is an outstanding female leader in cybersecurity whose commitment to innovation, passion for training and development, and expertise in security make her worthy of your vote as the 2019 Woman Cybersecurity Leader of the Year.

Award winners will be announced at the Cybersecurity Woman of the Year 2019 Awards Gala in Las Vegas on August 5, 2019.

The full list of finalists can be found here.


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