Manny Medrano

Manuel “Manny” Medrano has over 20 years of experience in cybersecurity and IT and is the Director of the Office of Cyber Monitoring and Operations (CMO) within the Directorate of Cyber Technology and Security (CTS) at the Bureau of Diplomatic Security. Serving in this role since 2022, Manny leads the defense of the Department of State’s global operations and data against cyber threats, and champions efforts which enable mobile diplomacy. His team applies advanced analytics, automation, AI, and visualization tools to enhance defensive cyber operations and drive mission-oriented cybersecurity outcomes.

Manny leads the Department’s Security Operations Center and incident response program, providing the first line of defense for the organization’s global IT infrastructure. By protecting the integrity, availability, and confidentiality of unclassified and classified networks, CMO actively safeguards U.S. national security and contributes to a stronger government cyber environment. CMO analysts also perform penetration tests, conduct vulnerability assessments, and design, engineer, and operate the Department’s cybersecurity defense systems.

Manny joined the Department in 2011 as the Information Systems Security Officer for the Bureaus of Oceans, Environment and Science, and Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor. He later supported key enterprise-level modernization efforts in the Office of the Secretary of State. He served as Deputy Division Chief, and later Acting Division Chief, for the Office of Cyber Threat & Investigations, where he advanced the Department’s intelligence capabilities and strengthened public-private partnerships. In 2021, as Cybersecurity Lead for the Cloud Program Management Office, he developed an agile security program to support IT modernization. In 2022, he helped establish a cyber cohort with Five Eye international partners.

Before joining the State Department, he worked at the World Bank Group and spent time in Afghanistan with an NGO-led irrigation project. He also serves as Adjunct Faculty at Northern Virginia Community College and is a certified group fitness instructor.