Led by
Dr. Cynthia
Sutherland.
Dr. Cynthia Sutherland is a nationally recognized cybersecurity executive and resilience strategist with real-world leadership experience across government, defense, critical infrastructure, and global enterprise environments.
Her work sits at the intersection of cyber leadership, operational resilience, human-centered decision-making, and executive transformation.
She founded BlackCrest Cyber to help organizations prepare for the moments when leadership is tested — and to ensure they emerge stronger, more capable, and less dependent than before.
Leadership Under Pressure
Built and led security functions in environments where the cost of failure is measured in lives, missions, and institutional trust.
Transformation
Guides leaders through reorganization, AI adoption, and operating-model change without sacrificing resilience or focus.
Mission-Critical Trust
Trusted by federal leaders, regulators, and enterprise boards to advise where discretion and judgment are paramount.
Trusted Across Government, Cybersecurity & Enterprise
28+
Years of Cyber Leadership
$1T+
Digital Assets Protected
50+
Nations Served
23
Nation NATO Security Board
Former CISO
Joint Chiefs & FEMA
Service Before Strategy
Forged in uniform.
Before the boardroom, Dr. Sutherland served as a Telecommunications Specialist in the U.S. Army National Guard, deploying to Baghdad in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
That foundation — discipline, mission focus, and decision-making under consequence — shapes every engagement she leads today.
U.S. Army National Guard
Telecommunications Specialist supporting joint communications operations.
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Active-duty deployment to Baghdad in direct support of combat operations.
Decorated Service
Army Achievement Medals · Global War on Terrorism Service Medal · National Defense Service Medal.
Mission Impact
A career of consequential firsts.
Dr. Sutherland has led cybersecurity at the highest levels of U.S. government and global enterprise — protecting missions where the cost of failure is measured in lives, infrastructure, and national trust.
FEMA
First SES-Level CISO at FEMA
Appointed in 2020 as the first Senior Executive Service Chief Information Security Officer, leading cybersecurity policy, risk management, and security operations for the nation's disaster response agency.
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Deputy of Cyberspace Division & CISO
Senior analyst & advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Combatant Commands for integrating cybersecurity into warfighter systems and supply-chain risk.
NATO · 23 Nations
Global Chair, Multinational Security Accreditation Board
U.S. Representative responsible for secure interoperability between the Department of Defense, NATO, and foreign partner nations.
Enterprise
Global Cybersecurity Leader
Safeguarded mission-critical data across 26+ networks and 16 industry sectors — on-premises, cloud, and partner ecosystems.
Honors & Recognition
Recognized for leadership, not visibility.
Distinctions earned across military, federal, and industry communities for operational impact, mentorship, and advancement of the cybersecurity discipline.
NSA · DreamPort
STEM Pioneer Who Rocks
Recognized for advancing women and underrepresented technologists in national-security cyber.
U.S. Army
Army Achievement Medals
Awarded for meritorious service during her tour with the Army National Guard.
Department of Defense
Global War on Terrorism Service Medal
Issued in recognition of service supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Department of Defense
National Defense Service Medal
Awarded for honorable active military service during a designated period of national emergency.
Senior Executive Service
First SES-Level CISO at FEMA
Appointed to one of the federal government's most senior executive cybersecurity posts.
Doctorate
Doctor of Science in Cybersecurity
Plus M.S. in Network Security and B.S. in Information Systems Management — published in cybersecurity legal curriculum.
“Leadership is what holds the line when systems, people, and missions are simultaneously under pressure.”
— Dr. Cynthia Sutherland
Executive Advisory · Resilience · Recovery
Engage Dr. Sutherland directly.
For board advisory, fractional CISO leadership, and resilience programs where judgment and discretion are paramount.