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Michael Echols
Michael Echols
01:05

Michael Echols

International Association of Certified ISAOs

Washington, DC USA

"Understand what bothers you, understand what gets you down, then build a box around it...The funny part about that is, that's exactly what we should be doing in cybersecurity."

Career Roadmap

Michael's work combines: Business, Technology, and Learning / Being Challenged

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Day In The Life

CEO

I am a cyber security specialist leading a global effort to harmonize cyber threat information sharing.

My Day to Day

As a cybersecurity executive and critical infrastructure protection strategist, I work with senior corporate leaders and government officials to make the nation more resilient. I am focused on progressing and harmonizing cyber threat information sharing globally. I represent emerging ISAOs to assist them in building and managing their organizations effectively.

Skills & Education

Advice for getting started

The internet of things is becoming more and more connected. It's becoming bigger than just coders. Cybersecurity is going to need real people who understand how all the various technologies we use are applicable to our lives to help those coders better adapt technologies. We need such a variety of people, use the skills and knowledge that you have and figure out how it can be utilized in this field in unique ways.

Here's the path I took:

  • High School

  • Bachelor's Degree

    Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration

    University of Maryland-College Park

  • Graduate Degree

    Biotechnology

    University of Maryland-University College

  • Graduate Degree

    Business Administration and Management, General

    University of Maryland-University College

Life & Career Milestones

I've taken a lot of twists and turns

  • 1.

    Grew up “dirt poor” in Alabama, but luckily, he earned a scholarship to a very prestigious private high school that set him up for a successful college experience.

  • 2.

    Originally, he worked in engineering; he owned his own company up until 9/11, when the stock market crash drove his company into the ground.

  • 3.

    He had to start his career path over again, and the only job he could get was working as a TSA screener at the airport.

  • 4.

    Clients he’d previously worked with would come through the airport; they were shocked to see him working as a screener, and treated him like he’d had a fall from grace.

  • 5.

    He says that feeding off of something painful or discomforting with give you the fire you need to keep going; his experiences as a screener motivated him to work his way out of that position.

  • 6.

    Within six months, he’d been promoted to a position at TSA headquarters; while there, he developed an interoperability for technology systems at the 2004 Super Bowl.

  • 7.

    But after developing that majorly successful system, he actually felt like he had to fight to prove himself even harder, so he went back to school to get a master’s in business administration.

  • 8.

    He’s since held prominent positions in the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and worked closely with former president Barack Obama to encourage cyberthreat information sharing.

Defining Moments

How I responded to discouragement

  • THE NOISE

    Messages from Myself:

    I don't know if I can do this.

  • How I responded:

    Doubts are apart of life. I've always surrounded myself by people that know my abilities and, when I start to doubt myself, they step up to remind me who I am and what I'm capable of. There are people in my family that look up to me and so I have developed a sense of responsibility. Everybody needs emotional support.

Experiences and challenges that shaped me

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  • I grew up "dirt poor" in Alabama. Then when the stock market crashed, I lost my company and had to start my career all over again; I felt like I had to prove myself even harder.