Tim Mullen, 31
OT Cybersecurity Engineer
Applied Control Engineering
Newark, DE, United States
BS Computer Engineering, Johns Hopkins University
MS Computer Engineering, Villanova University

What Makes Tim an Engineering Leader

As a leader of Applied Control Engineering’s OT Infrastructure and Cybersecurity business, Tim has been instrumental in focusing ACE’s decades of operational technology (OT) experience into developing resilient, secure-by-design systems. At ACE, Tim leads a multi-disciplinary team through projects to assess and remediate cyber vulnerabilities that impact industrial control systems (ICS) and other OT used in many industries. Leading with a “team first” mentality, Tim works to keep his geographically distributed team of OT security engineers engaged, growing, and supported so that the next generation of engineers are ready to provide the right solutions for modern environments.

Achievements, Advancements & Career-related Industry Contributions

Tim began his working career as a control systems engineer in the commercial nuclear power industry. Leveraging his computer engineering background, Tim quickly became a subject matter expert on cybersecurity assessments for control system upgrade projects. In nuclear, every detail requires scrutiny to ensure regulatory compliance and, above all, the safety of the public. Experience in this environment was foundational in Tim’s journey of learning how to build a culture of excellence in OT cybersecurity. Starting at ACE as an automation engineer in 2019, Tim successfully delivered programmable logic controller, human-machine interface, and manufacturing execution system solutions before shifting his focus to bridging the IT/OT gap and building a core team to support ACE’s customers with networking, virtualization, computing, and security. Tim led ACE’s participation in the OMAC working groups that created the Security Considerations for Remote Access and Practical Considerations for Data Governance guides. Along the way, Tim has earned his Global Industrial Cyber Security Professional (GICSP) certification and recently became a licensed control systems professional engineer in the state of Maryland.

Non-work-related Activities & Hobbies

During off hours, Tim volunteers at Velocipede Bike Project in Baltimore. An all-volunteer do-it-yourself bike shop, Velocipede provides hands-on education in bike maintenance and a community workspace while giving used bikes a new life. Tim is a volunteer bike mechanic who both refurbishes bicycles for the community and also guides patrons to restore their own bikes to tip-top shape. Tim loves the process of watching patrons discover that working with their hands is something they can do and should feel confident doing.

Interesting Details

Tim enjoys losing badly to his fiancé at pinball at their favorite neighborhood bar. He can then go home and commiserate with their beloved ex-racing greyhound.

Why Tim Chose This Career

Tim chose to work with control systems because they are about realizing effects in the real world. Whether it’s creating life-saving drugs, keeping the lights on, or safely producing food, control systems have a meaningful impact that goes beyond the shuffling of data between computers. Cybersecurity in OT is specifically about protecting these vital real-world functions, about knowing and owning how the digital components support that process, and about making informed decisions to protect that process.

For more cybersecurity coverage and information check out our sister site, Industrial Cybersecurity Pulse.