Mario D.

Mario has over 25 years of experience in the field of cybersecurity, although his initial career path was not in IT. He began his education in 1997 at George Mason University, studying Business Administration. At that time, Mario had no intention of pursuing a career in technology. However, over time, he realized that his natural strengths aligned with the IT field, particularly in cybersecurity, which ultimately became his passion.

In 2003, Mario began his professional journey as a Systems Engineer at Paloma Systems. Four years later, in 2007, he joined Logos Technologies, LLC as a Cybersecurity Professional. His expertise grew, and in 2016, he took on the role of Senior Cybersecurity Engineer and Lead Technologist IV&V/UAT at Blue Cloak LLC. There, he was responsible for cybersecurity, incident response, risk management, compliance, auditing, risk assessment, penetration testing, and disaster recovery.

By 2018, Mario co-founded Argon Cyber, LLC and took on the role of Director of Cybersecurity, further solidifying his leadership in the field. In 2020, he joined Empower Group, LLC as a Cybersecurity Advocate and Educator, where he played a pivotal role in expanding cyber content across educational curricula and coaching youth in the field of cybersecurity.

In January 2024, Mario reached another significant milestone in his career, becoming the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Blue Cloak LLC, where he now leads strategic initiatives, oversees IT operations, and continues to drive innovation in cybersecurity.

Despite starting his education with a focus on business, Mario's passion and talent for cybersecurity became the foundation of his successful career trajectory.