Jeremy Thomas: A new way to secure classified systems
Name: Jeremy Thomas
Age: 37
Organization: Energy Department
Title: Information Systems Security Site Manager, Idaho National Laboratory
Nominated for: Leading a cross-organizational team that deployed a diskless architecture for the classified computing environment at Idaho National Laboratory and leading a task force that’s reviewing the lab’s classified systems.
First IT mentor: Jeff Rydalch, who has broadened my understanding of government IT and helped me focus my career goals. He passed along his 30-plus years of lessons learned, both the good and the bad, which has helped my career immensely.
Latest accomplishment on the job: Taking 55 independent classified systems, each covered by its own system security plan, and reducing them to 23 centrally managed systems.
Career highlight: Implementing a classified diskless architecture that operates across an 890-square-mile complex.
Your advice for a government IT wannabe: Always be flexible and realize that projects don’t get accomplished overnight.
What you enjoy most about working in government IT: With the ever-changing technology and emerging policies and procedures, you’ll never get bored with government IT.
Dream non-IT-related job: Fighter pilot
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