Nicole H.

Director, Information Security at NYSERNet

Rochester, New York, United States

About

I work in cybersecurity, but what really drives me is helping people make sense of it. In my role at Nysernet, I collaborate with higher education institutions to turn security frameworks into real, practical improvements. Together we can focus on what actually reduces risk and work together to help teams build confidence in what they're doing. I'm especially interested in bridging the gap between "what we should do" and "what we can realistically do". I enjoy facilitating conversations, sharing knowledge across communities, and helping organizations build momentum with small, meaningful wins. My background in computer security and software engineering gives me a strong technical foundation, but I am just as focused on communication, collaboration, and making security approachable. Always happy to connect with others working in cybersecurity, higher education, or anyone trying to make security less overwhelming, and more effective.

Experience

  • Director, Information Security at NYSERNet
    Oct 2024 - Present · 1 yr 9 mos

  • Principal Application Security Engineer at EDB
    Feb 2023 - Dec 2024 · 1 yr 11 mos

  • Datto (4 yrs 8 mos)
    • Manager of Application and Offensive Security
      Jan 2023 - Jan 2023 · 1 mo

      Directly managed a team of Application and Offensive Security Engineers. Selection and integration of common security automation tools (SAST, DAST, SCA, IAST) Manage and coordinate a Security Champion satellite across the entire Enterprise's product portfolio. Plan, schedule, and perform penetration tests across a variety of products and tech stacks.

    • Manager of Application Security
      Oct 2021 - Jan 2023 · 1 yr 4 mos

      Started and evolved Datto's Application Security Program Started, evolved and managed Datto's Vulnerability Disclosure Program Managed a team of 60+ Security Champions across 30+ products Design and oversee the SSDL of 30+ products following security frameworks Governance and Accountability for Application Security Projects Secure Design Consulting Security Tool Selection and Implementation Security Tool Development

    • Sr. Security Engineer
      Jan 2021 - Oct 2021 · 10 mos

  • Student Lab Instructor / Grader at Rochester Institute of Technology
    Sep 2016 - May 2019 · 2 yrs 9 mos

    Grader - Analyze student's work and provide comprehensive feedback to assist in learning. Mentor - Answer questions and help troubleshoot student's programs. - Assist with debugging tools and general debugging strategies. Student Lab Instructor - Guide students through problem solving sessions. - Answer questions and assist with trouble shooting student programs. Notetaker - Record lectures via clear, organized notes and diagrams.

  • Team Member at Wegmans Food Markets
    Sep 2012 - Jan 2018 · 5 yrs 5 mos

    CIP Operator