Niky
Bihms

Cybersecurity Leadership from Battlefield to the Boardroom

PartnerCISO

Niky-bihms

Leadership Roles

  • Chief Information Security Officer / Deputy Director of Information Technology – Prince George’s County, MD
  • Global Director of information Technology and Information Security – Baltimore Aircoil Company
  • Executive Director, Cybersecurity – ManTech International
  • Operations Division Chief – Joint Task Force, National Capital Region and U.S. Army Military District of Washington
  • Program Manager – Northrop Grumman
  • Information Systems Analyst (Chief Warrant Officer) – United States Army

Niky joins Fortium Partners with a distinguished career in the public and private sectors.  A decorated combat veteran with a Top-Secret Clearance, she is an expert in cyber security including information systems, network security, risk management, and governance. During her 30-year career, Niky has worked jointly with federal and state agencies, including the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Virginia Information Technology Agency. She has developed strategic plans and led complex programs related to cyber security, data management, cloud migrations, industrial cyber security, and information technology operations for global organizations. Her experience ranges from creating IT roadmaps for cyber security, building audit and compliance teams for financial systems to implementing effective governance frameworks. Over the span of her career, Niky has been a technical leader for Network, Voice, Server, Application and Network Operations and Security Operations Center teams.  Her practice primarily serves clients in the defense community, law enforcement, manufacturing, technology firms, and companies seeking to navigate government bids and contracting.

As a CISO, Niky established a comprehensive cybersecurity program for a complex government agency.  She developed a roadmap, conducted assessments, and implemented vulnerability management, identity access management, and improved managed services.  Her leadership strengthened the security culture across the organization while also resulting in cost savings across the enterprise. Niky also served as a Strategic Advisor to the CISO of the FBI and other leaders in cybersecurity operations. She oversaw system accreditation and compliance, technical functionality, risk assessments, audits and daily operations while also driving a redesign and transformation of the information assurance division. While serving as the subject matter expert in cybersecurity, Niky was responsible for developing security solutions proposed and delivered to a sophisticated client base.

During her distinguished service in the United States Army, Niky was responsible for global IT operations in combat zones and in peace time.  She advanced from enlisted soldier to appointment as Chief Warrant Officer, where she became part of an elite group of two hundred officers in her specialty area.  Her experience includes leading a comprehensive information technology and information security support center, delivering expert technical advice on Department of Defense processes, and implementing networks in support of Army operations.  A decorated combat veteran, Niky was awarded a Bronze Star and Combat Action Badge for her time as a convoy commander supporting eight satellite networks during Operation Iraqi Freedom.  Of note, she was nominated for the prestigious U.S. Army Douglas MacArthur Leadership Award.

She graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from Trident University and a Master of Science in Information Assurance from Norwich University.  For a nearly a decade, she has served as an Adjunct Professor at Southern New Hampshire University, teaching courses in information technology and systems. She continued her own professional development by achieving certifications including Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), COMPTIA Network+, COMPTIA Security+, and SAFe ® 5 Practitioner, among many.