Christine (“Christy”) Riccardi is the DHS Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Region IX Director. She has served in this capacity since 2016 and has worked within DHS since 2008. 

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She leads a 55-member regional cadre serving California, Nevada, Arizona, Hawaii, Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa. The team provides expert advice on cybersecurity, information sharing and protection, data tools and technology, and infrastructure resilience. 

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While in the Office of Infrastructure Protection, Ms. Riccardi provided strategic counsel to executive leadership to shape programs and resources, adapting them to the evolving cyber and physical infrastructure risk environment. Additionally, she designed, planned and implemented the 2 year-initiative to evolve the entire suite of IP operations to a regional based, service delivery model. 

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As Regional Director, Ms. Riccardi ensures strategic delivery of mitigation and preparedness programs for today’s evolving threat environment; addresses infrastructure resilience challenges and policy impacts through complex analysis; and applies risk management principles to infrastructure across all-hazards. Most recently, she led cybersecurity and physical security outreach and operations in support of U.S. election infrastructure. 

Prior to government service, Ms. Riccardi was an industry systems engineer and program manager, specializing in information sharing processes, systems and technology—most notably, common operating picture software and systems. 

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A graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School for Homeland Defense and Security Studies, Ms. Riccardi earned a Master of Art in Security Studies. Ms. Riccardi also holds a Bachelor and Master of Science in Computer Science.