Chris Depa

Chris Depa has extensive experience in the field of cybersecurity and information technology. From 2018 to present, they worked at ENSCO, Inc., where they served as a Defensive Cyber Operations Subject Matter Expert. In this role, they developed strategies to align multiple weapon systems with a certified Cybersecurity Service Provider (CSSP) and implemented a support model for continuous monitoring of cybersecurity activities. Additionally, they led the Program Support Team (PST) in creating a program office for technology acquisition and deployment.

In 2020, Depa took on the role of Chair for the PPBEA Regional Computer Science & Cybersecurity Career Pathway Advisory Board at Pikes Peak Business & Education Alliance.

Prior to their work at ENSCO, Inc., Depa was Chief of Analysis for the Missile Defense Agency's Computer Network Defense Service Provider (CNDSP) from 2010 to 2018. Chris designed user activity monitoring systems and developed tactics, techniques, and procedures for network defense.

Before joining the Missile Defense Agency, Depa gained experience at Sun Microsystems as a Storage Area Network Administrator and Systems Test Engineer from 2008 to 2010. Chris was responsible for testing storage, servers, workstations, and host bus adapters, and they also designed and built a database for accessing commonly used documents and files.

Depa's earlier experience includes roles at Lockheed Martin as a Severity Manager and Aeronautics Analyst from 2005 to 2008, and at IBM as a Contracted Technical Support employee from 2004 to 2005. At Lockheed Martin, they provided technical support for classified and unclassified networks, managed a database of technical documentation, and resolved hardware and software issues. At IBM, they provided technical support for Lucent Technologies and trained new hires on resolving customer issues.

Overall, Chris Depa has a diverse background in cybersecurity, network defense, technical support, and database management.

Chris Depa obtained an Associate degree in Computer Network Systems from ITT Technical Institute from 2002 to 2005. Chris then pursued a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Systems Security from the same institution from 2002 to 2007. In 2018, they enrolled at the University of Maryland Global College, where they completed a master's degree in Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigation with a focus on Cyber Security in 2020. Throughout their education, Chris also obtained several certifications including: Certified Computer Forensics Examiner (CCFE) from the IACRB Information Assurance Certification Review Board in 2016, Certified Information Security Manager from ISACA in 2015, Certified Ethical Hacker from EC-Council in 2012, Certified Penetration Tester from the IACRB - Information Assurance Certification Review Board in 2012, and Security+ from CompTIA in 2011. Most recently, in 2021, Chris became a CMMC Registered Practitioner certified by the CMMC-AB.