Rising Star: Matthew Heath
Matthew Heath didn't start out in cybersecurity. But in 2019, he interned as a nontraditional student at Ace Info Solutions and soon began volunteering for more challenging positions. He quickly became known as a subject-matter expert and was promoted twice in two years.
Much of Heath's work has centered on the company's U.S. Coast Guard Core Technology Services contract, which expanded in scope after a 2019 contract modification gave his team the opportunity to prepare assets for cyber readiness inspections. The team is now responsible for cyber compliance reporting for over 2,600 servers, 600 network devices and 150,000 users across 60 applications.
As the lead for hiring and training new employees for the team, Heath developed a training program and automated repeatable tasks to deliver outcomes more quickly. He has also taken ownership of the internship program in his section, fostering a supportive environment for interns and helping other nontraditional students develop their careers. He maintains his connection with his alma mater, Blue Ridge Community and Technical College, by advising students and has so far hired three interns through the college.