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Arielle Baine

Summary

Arielle Baine works for the Federal Government as a GS (General Schedule)-15 Chief in Cybersecurity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).

 

Career in Tech

Arielle is 34 years old, with a 10-year tenure, and went from GS-7 to GS-15 Chief of Cybersecurity for Region 3. Directly supports and strengthens the security, reliability, and resilience of the nation’s critical infrastructure within Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia. Oversees various cyber preparedness, risk mitigation, and incident response coordination activities through public and private partnerships and outreach efforts.  She currently holds the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification, the Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) certification, the GIAC Certified Windows Security Administrator (GCWN) certification, the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification, and the Security+ certification.

 

Job Roles and Responsibilities:

Chief of Cybersecurity

  • Oversees a size of 10-12 field CSAs who are deployed to conduct various cyber preparedness, risk mitigation, and incident response coordination activities through public and private partnerships and outreach efforts. This means the bridges, hospitals, transportation systems, electricity, water systems, etc to protected from ransomware.
  • Goes into the office once a week.
  • Keynotes and speak on panels about the positive and negative outcomes of the use of AI.
  • Makes sure the tools, programs, table tops, etc are available with her team.
  • Developing and executing a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy aligned with business objectives, risk tolerance, and compliance requirements.
  • Conducting regular security audits, assessments, and penetration testing to identify vulnerabilities and areas for improvement.

 

Criteria

  • From the public Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Salaries website, those who work in cybersecurity can make anywhere between 8k – to over 200k+ a year.
  • Sign-on bonus up to 40k (only if going from outside the government.)
  • Cyber pay incentive (paid 25% more)
  • Bigger annual bonus
  • Pay for certifications and maintain certifications.
  • A degree is not required initially but encourages education.
  • Easiest to transfer from a government contract to working for the federal government.
  • Leave accrues with every paycheck.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills to effectively engage with stakeholders at all levels, articulate complex cybersecurity concepts to non-technical audiences, and report cybersecurity risks and strategies to executive leadership and the board.
  • In-depth knowledge of relevant cybersecurity regulations, standards (such as NIST, ISO, GDPR), and legal requirements, ensuring the organization’s compliance.
  • Experience in managing cybersecurity budgets effectively, allocating resources, and advocating for investments in necessary security tools, technologies, and personnel.
  • bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, cybersecurity, information technology, or a related field. Extensive and progressive experience in cybersecurity roles, often spanning 10+ years, with increasing responsibilities and leadership positions.

 

Getting into Tech

Fun fact: Arielle and Symoné were roommates while serving in the Air Force.

Raised in Deleware, educated in Howard High School of Technology, graduated valedictorian,  through scholarships obtained internships, experience, dual enrollment, etc, the only catch is she had to work for the federal government after graduation. A graduate of Spelman College with a degree in Computer Science, and a Computer Engineering degree from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, and holds her Master of Science degree in Cybersecurity from the University of Maryland University College.  Worked in DoD making 44k a year as a GS-7 in 2013 in System Engineering, simplized as “reading documents”. Through the power of networking, placed with a mentor in the cyber security operations division, who opened the door for her first role in the cyber security space and placed her on the pave to success for GS-15. Spent over 9 years in the federal civilian and DoD communities.

 

Social Media

Get to know Arielle through her social media below!

 

Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arielle-baine/

Youtube Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvVCZDzbiyM

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