Dispel Enhances Cybersecurity Team, Appoints Dean Macris As CISO

Dispel has announced the appointment of Dean Macris as its new Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). In this role, Macris will oversee the company's alignment with various cybersecurity standards, including NIST 800-53, NIST 800-171, NIST 800-172, NERC CIP, IEC 62443, SOC 2, and ISO 27001.

"Given the environments our systems are being asked to operate in, we needed someone who recognized cybersecurity was not only a programming and process problem, but also an electromagnetic problem," said Chris DiLorenzo, Dispel’s CTO. "Dean has that firsthand knowledge."

Macris brings extensive experience in both operational technology and information technology. His previous roles include serving as the Theater Operations Officer of U.S. Forces Korea and Cyber Technical Director for Naval Special Warfare. He also managed General Dynamics Electric Boat company’s Signature Secret Network and taught at the United States Coast Guard Academy.

In his new role, Macris will contribute to engineering and product design throughout the system lifecycle. "We wanted someone who would work to meet the spirit, as well as the letter, of cybersecurity standards," said Ian Schmertzler, Dispel’s President and Co-founder. "That is not only the right thing to do but also a competitive differentiator in our markets."

Macris holds a BS in Systems Engineering from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and an MBA from the University of Connecticut. He is currently pursuing a Master’s in National Security and Strategic Studies at the U.S. Naval War College and a PhD in Computer Engineering at the University of Rhode Island.

Founded in 2015, Dispel is a provider of zero-trust remote access, data streaming, managed attribution, and DMZ unification for industrial control systems. The company serves clients representing roughly half a trillion dollars in annual manufactured output worldwide.

For more information, please visit www.dispel.com.