Darren Lacey, VP of IT and chief information security officer, named to new position at APL

After more than 21 years as IT@JH's chief information security officer and director of IT Compliance, including the past seven-plus years as vice president of IT for JHU and JHHS, Darren Lacey is switching roles and heading to the Applied Physics Laboratory, where he has been named chief engineer for cybersecurity in the Information Technology Services Department.

"We're thrilled to welcome Darren to the Laboratory, and [to know] that his extensive and deep expertise in cybersecurity will continue to benefit the Hopkins enterprise and the nation," says Michael Misumi, chief information officer at APL. "Darren's vision and skill have ensured Johns Hopkins' secure IT research and operations for the past two decades. During this time, Darren participated in multiple APL cyber tabletop exercises, and he has already been a member of the APL Cyber Security Leadership Team, so this will be a seamless transition."

During Lacey's years of leadership within IT@JH, he and his team have safeguarded Johns Hopkins' enterprise data and led the organization through security threats and major incidents.

Rich Mendola, vice president and chief information officer for JHU and JHM since January 2023, says, "Working with Darren during my initial tenure has been a deeply rewarding experience. He possesses an incredible intellect and breadth of knowledge along with a willingness to confront the most demanding cybersecurity challenges. Rarely do I leave a meeting with Darren without some newfound understanding of the complex problems that he and his team address on a daily basis."

Adds Dean Zarriello, VP and chief network officer, "Darren has been an incredible source of knowledge for me over 20 years, and he's one of the most intelligent colleagues I've worked with throughout my career. Despite predictions that AI will take over most tasks, it could not possibly duplicate his brain or provide the wisdom and guidance he provided me throughout these years."

Lacey has worked closely with APL on leading-edge security solutions and says that he was ready for a change. About his time with IT@JH, he says, "This has been among the most interesting jobs a person can have. Our high profile, complexity, and high stakes are unmatched anywhere. We built a fundamentally solid security and monitoring program that will serve the institution well."

Lacey has been succeeded as chief information security officer by Janet Rathod, who joined Johns Hopkins Sept. 16. Rathod previously worked at Citigroup, Capital One, and the FBI.