ICS/OT Cybersecurity Professional

Emanuel
Lopez

Industrial Control Systems · Detection Engineering · Program Leadership

8+ years securing critical infrastructure at enterprise scale — from SCADA systems and process control networks to enterprise-wide compliance programs and threat intelligence operations.

8+
Years in ICS/OT Security
500+
Systems Hardened
70%
Cost Efficiency Achieved
Emanuel Lopez

// Background

About Me

I'm a results-driven cybersecurity program leader with deep specialization in Operational Technology (OT), SCADA, and Industrial Control System (ICS) environments. My career has been built at the intersection of engineering and security — where protecting critical infrastructure demands both technical depth and strategic thinking.

At Chevron, I spent 8 years progressing from vulnerability analyst to program leadership, designing and deploying security solutions that protected some of the most critical systems in the energy sector. I bridge the gap between engineering teams and executive leadership, translating technical risk into business decisions.

Bilingual (English/Spanish), and equally comfortable in a field deployment or a boardroom briefing.

Location Houston, TX
Focus ICS/OT Security · NIST · SCADA
Education BBA, Cybersecurity & Information Systems — UTSA
Languages English · Spanish
Status Open to new opportunities

// Expertise

Skills & Capabilities

🏭
ICS/OT Security

Deep hands-on experience securing SCADA, HMI, PLC, and process control networks in energy sector environments.

SCADA PLC HMI PCN ESXi
📋
Compliance & Governance

Built NIST-aligned compliance programs from the ground up, driving audits, assessments, and risk remediation at enterprise scale.

NIST 800-171 GRC Risk Assessment CMMC
🔍
Threat Intelligence & Hunting

Researched and tracked threat actor groups, produced executive intelligence products, and led proactive threat hunting on corporate infrastructure.

CrowdStrike IoC Analysis Threat Hunting Splunk
🛡️
Vulnerability Management

Executed pen tests, full attack chain demonstrations, and remediated critical vulnerabilities across 500+ systems and multiple business units.

Nessus Tenable HP Fortify Pen Testing
☁️
Cloud & Data Security

Led enterprise AIP deployments and elevated DLP capabilities using hash matching, document fingerprinting, and custom regex markers.

Azure AIP DLP Azure DevOps Power BI
📊
Program & Project Management

Managed full project lifecycles, cross-functional teams, and national-scale deployment programs across critical infrastructure sites.

Agile PMP (In Progress) UiPath Power Automate

// Career History

Professional Experience

ICS Hardening & Compliance Engineer Feb 2024 – Aug 2025
Chevron · Houston, TX
  • Managed full project lifecycle for automated ESXi security scanning across Critical and High-Risk Infrastructure Sites, from planning through final deployment.
  • Served as National SME directing cross-country SCADA implementation programs, including phased deployments of auto scanning, secure file transfer, and Splunk logging.
  • Governed adoption of new security tools across engineering, operations, and IT stakeholders for all SCADA-related projects.
ICS IT/OT Systems Analyst Jan 2022 – Feb 2024
Chevron · Greenley, CO
  • Built foundational inventory, architecture, and process controls from scratch to meet all NIST compliance and audit requirements.
  • Directed security safeguards, risk assessments, and threat indicator monitoring — significantly reducing attack surface across field and process control network environments.
  • Deployed ruggedized OT field systems (HMI, PLC, Microwaves, Radios, Routers, Switches) into remote production environments.
Cyber Security Defense Engineer Feb 2020 – Jan 2022
Chevron · Houston, TX
  • Executed pen tests against GRC and productivity apps (Archer, ServiceNow) and Office Message Encryption to identify and mitigate critical authentication risks.
  • Led enterprise-wide deployment of the Azure Information Protection (AIP) client, serving as SME for business acceptance, packaging, and change management.
  • Expanded DLP capabilities to endpoint devices using hash matching, document fingerprinting, and custom regex markers.
Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst May 2019 – Feb 2020
Chevron · Houston, TX
  • Tracked sophisticated threat actor groups via CrowdStrike and other platforms; published intelligence products on cybercrime risk to executive leadership.
  • Led proactive enterprise threat hunting on corporate firewalls and email logs, rapidly neutralizing IoCs tied to malware and ransomware campaigns.
  • Developed tailored intelligence products for security teams and business stakeholders to enhance organizational defense posture.
Industrial Control System Vulnerability Analyst May 2018 – May 2019
Chevron · Houston, TX
  • Pioneered a critical SCADA security redundancy solution achieving 70% cost efficiency vs. existing alternatives — deployed enterprise-wide.
  • Redesigned complex Process Control Network schemas within a 2-month turnaround.
  • Managed vendor acquisition and procurement for hundreds of OT units across hundreds of facilities.
Cybersecurity Vulnerability Analyst May 2017 – May 2018
Chevron · Houston, TX
  • Authored and presented a full proof-of-concept attack chain — from employee terminal compromise to industrial SCADA console access — exposing a high-risk security gap.
  • Documented the complete kill chain including vulnerability leveraging, credential elevation, ICS data manipulation, and persistence techniques.
  • Remediated the highest critical vulnerabilities across 500+ systems spanning multiple business units.

// Credentials

Education & Certifications

🎓
BBA — Cybersecurity
University of Texas at San Antonio
🎓
BBA — Information Systems
University of Texas at San Antonio
🔒
Certified Vulnerability Scanning Tools
Certified
🔒
Certified Nessus
Certified
🔒
Certified HP Fortify & Tenable
Certified
📌
Project Management Professional (PMP)
In Progress

// Let's Connect

Get in Touch

Open to senior ICS/OT security roles, detection engineering opportunities, and consulting engagements. Let's talk.