With over 18 years of IT and cybersecurity experience, focused primarily on Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI), V. Susan Peediyakkal draws on her significant knowledge from working with various intelligence operations in the federal government and international commercial domains. Susan's career began in the US Air Force where she has served 20 years, both active and reserve, before retiring in 2021. She joined NASA in October 2020 as the InfoSec Operations Manager for Ames research Center and recently transitioned to her new role as Service Management Practice Lead for the Cybersecurity Services (CyS) Service Line based out of Headquarters in DC.
An active member of the cybersecurity community; Susan is the founder and director of BSides Sacramento, serves on the board for Mental Health Hackers as the Chief Wellness Officer, and an ambassador for the Women's Society of Cyberjutsu. In February 2020, she completed her CISO certification and took “Best in CoHort” at Carnegie Mellon University. Susan was named a 2020-2022 technologist fellow for the National Security Institute (NSI) at George Mason University and appointed to the advisory board for CSU Chico's Executive Program.
In March 2018, Susan was named one of “10 Women in Security You May Not Know But Should” by one of the most widely-read cyber security news sites on the Web, Dark Reading.