With over 25 years of experience, Maria Sumnicht is a true leader and innovator in the fields of IoT/IIoT, ICS, and OT cybersecurity. As the former Urban Technology Architect for the City of New York, she was responsible for the cybersecurity posture of all IoT, IIoT, ICS technology being procured by the City. Her team proactively secured cutting-edge smart city infrastructure prior to its deployment on city streets and her team was responsible for authoring the IoT & ICS Policy and Standards for the City of New York. Maria’s technical expertise stems from roles such as Computer Scientist at NASA Ames, where she worked on advanced aerodynamic simulations, as well as an engineer at Cisco Systems developing wireless and network management technologies. She has a unique blend of public and private sector experience, having also co-founded SurveillanceGrid, a smart city and physical security company integrating IoT and communications systems. Her diverse background covers everything from satellite engineering at Lockheed Missiles & Space to penetration testing of IoT and industrial control systems. With such a strong foundation across IT, OT, IoT, and cybersecurity, Maria offers invaluable perspective on securing critical infrastructure and leveraging technology to benefit society. Her technical skills combined with strategic vision make her perfectly positioned to continue driving innovation and leading teams to build the connected, secure future.
