2023 Rising Star: Angelika Hall

Angelika Hall has only been in charge of managing the cybersecurity and response team that operates around the clock at the Office of Personnel Management since fall 2022, but OPM leadership says that the agency’s improved security posture at this point is a result of her actions. 

Since joining the agency as its security operations manager, Hall — who transitioned into cybersecurity after working in the hospitality industry and as a contracted project manager — has built OPM’s incident response plans using insights from tabletop exercises and reduced the team's investigative and resolution time by 30%. 

Hall has also been instrumental to OPM’s move to cloud-based technologies and adoption of modern technology and automation, her colleagues say.

Her team’s embrace of available artificial intelligence and automation over the last year is what she’s most proud of, Hall told Nextgov/FCW.

Hall’s communication skills set her apart, said OPM Chief Information Security Officer James Saunders, noting that she is able to communicate intricate cybersecurity concepts to non-technical personnel and leadership, which has earned admiration from the OPM C-suite.

“In the ever-evolving realm of cybersecurity, Angelika stands as a beacon of transformative leadership. Having seamlessly transitioned into this pivotal role, she not only changed the face of our Security Operations Center, but contributed to OPM's cybersecurity and cloud modernization efforts,” said Saunders. “Leveraging her extensive project management experience, Angelika brought a strategic precision that helped fortify our cybersecurity operations.”

“Her journey is not just a testament to her individual success, but a paradigm shift for OPM’s entire cybersecurity landscape,” he noted.