About Our Chapter
The Greater Cincinnati Chapter was founded in 1998 by a group of local security practitioners. Our chapter is comprised of security professionals from Cincinnati, Dayton, and Northern Kentucky. We are a not-for-profit organization with a mission of "Developing and Connecting the Greater Cincinnati Cybersecurity Leaders."
We strive to provide a venue for security professionals to network with fellow practitioners, educational opportunities to help support professional growth, and unique learning opportunities for local university and high school students. The chapter holds rehular bi-monthly meetings at MEdpace HQ in Cincinnati along with other networking events throughout the year.
The Greater Cincinnati ISSA Chapter welcomes you to come join us in representing the voice of information security!
Members
Events This Year
Company Sponsors
Our Mission
- Educate and enhance the knowledge and skills of it's members and the community in the interrelated fields of information systems security.
- Encourage an open exchange of information security techniques, approaches, and problem solving by chapter members and the community.
- Provide communication to keep members abreast of current events in information security, providing benefits to them and their employers.
Activities
- Bi-Monthly Chapter Meetings - during which we typically invite speakers to address different security issues. The topics vary from non-technical (leadership, compliance, metrics, security awareness) to highly technical (deep dives on specific technologies). The meetings also provide great networking opportunities with other Information Security professionals in the Cincinnati region.
- Social Chapter Events – including our two annual holiday events, annual golf outing, and much more!
- Capture The Flag Event – a friendly competition hosted by our partners at the University of Cincinnati that is made of up of 150 local students and practitioners
- CISSP Training – in person training sessions with other local security professionals who are looking to obtain their CISSP credentials
Why Join Us?
- Build professional relationships.
- Keep up on developments in information security.
- Content of chapter meetings.
- Professional development or educational programming offerings.
- Earn CPEs/CPUs.
- Learn practical and best practices in cyber security.
- Career growth and employment opportunities.
- Advance the profession.
- Give back to the community.
- Develop the next generation of cyber security professionals.
Chris Parker
Chapter President & Board MemberChris has been involved with the Cincinnati ISSA chapter for the past 13 years, serving as President for the past 5. He enjoys working with the local security community to help find ways to drive value in the profession for years to come. Chris is a 16 year resident of Cincinnati, originally hailing from Buffalo, NY (go Bills!). Along with being ISSA President, Chris is an Account Executive for Abnormal Security. He graduated St. Bonaventure University
Cole Ciambro
Chapter Vice President & Board MemberCincinnati native and currently resides in Pleasant Ridge. Cole enjoys spending time with family and friends, staying active, traveling, and rooting on his Bengals and Buckeyes. Attended Miami University where he played collegiate lacrosse and co-founded his first of three companies. Outside of helping run the ISSA chapter, Cole works full time as an Account Executive at SecurityScorecard.
Shyam Pema
Board MemberShyam Pema is Cincinnati born and raised, he lived in Atlanta for 5 years. He moved back to Cincinnati in 2004, and graduated from Lakota West in 2011, he then attended the University of Cincinnati where he completed his Bachelors in CyberSecurity and MBA. Outside of serving the Cincinnati he enjoys the Bengals and performs stand up comedy around Cincinnati. Shyam has worked on the practitioner side in various roles, and is currently a Senior Sales Engineer at VMRAY.
Cyan Perez
Director of Student Engagement & Board MemberFlorida native and recent Cincinnati resident, Cyan lived in Tampa, Florida most of her life, ultimately receiving her Bachelors in Computer Science Engineering, from the University of Florida (go Gators!). She moved up with her Husky Zuko, and you can find the pair hiking local trails in all kinds of weather (especially snowy days)! Cyan also considers herself a semi-professional Spikeball player, rusty violinist, and lover of books. She works full time as an Offensive Security Engineer for Procter & Gamble.