HAHECTOR ACOSTA

Cybersecurity · Governance · Security Architecture

Hector
Acosta

Co-Founder & Chief Security Officer · Zagreus AI DeVry University Alumnus · B.S. Cybersecurity Student · Former Cyber Club Team Captain

I build security programs for AI-powered platforms: the architecture, the controls, the monitoring and the evidence that proves they work. I came to cybersecurity from fifteen years of leading teams on the manufacturing floor, and I bring the same discipline to every system I secure.

See my results LinkedIn Contact
Hector Acosta in a grey suit
English / Español
Top 0.5%National Cyber League team game, Spring 2025. 25th of 4,779 teams.
Top 3%NCL individual game, Spring 2025. 240th of 8,575 players.
4.0GPA at DeVry University. Associate degree with High Honors.
2025ISACA Chicago Chapter Scholarship recipient.
About

Security that can prove itself

I am the co-founder and Chief Security Officer of Zagreus AI (formerly Beat.AI), a startup building a multi-tenant AI platform that automates work across enterprise systems. I lead the security program end to end: architecture, identity and access, monitoring, incident response, secure development and compliance documentation.

My rule is simple: a control that is deployed is not a control that is verified. Every change I approve needs a positive test, a negative test and dated evidence before it counts as done.

Before cybersecurity I spent fifteen years in manufacturing, starting as a machine operator and growing into leading teams in a regulated, safety-first environment. That background shapes how I work today: clear procedures, measurable results and people who know exactly what to do when something goes wrong.

I am completing a B.S. in Cybersecurity and Networking at DeVry University, and I enjoy helping other students find their way into this field.

Role
Co-Founder & CSO, Zagreus AI
Focus
Security architecture, governance, cloud and AI security
Education
B.S. Cybersecurity & Networking, DeVry (expected May 2027)
Frameworks
Programs mapped to NIST CSF 2.0, NIST SP 800-53 / FedRAMP, ISO/IEC 27001, SOC 2, HIPAA and GDPR
Languages
English and Spanish
Competition results

From top 17% to top 0.5%

Official National Cyber League results across three seasons. The national rank improved every season, individually and as a team.

Team gameIndividual gameLower is better
0% 5% 10% 15% 20% Spring 2024 Fall 2024 Spring 2025 Top % nationally 17.4% 9.0% 2.8% 6.2% 3.5% 0.5%

Percent = national rank divided by total participants, from Cyber Skyline summary reports.

SeasonGameNational rankTop
Spring 2025Team25 of 4,7790.5%
Spring 2025Individual240 of 8,5752.8%
Fall 2024TeamCaptain173 of 4,8943.5%
Fall 2024Individual762 of 8,4879.0%
Spring 2024Team262 of 4,1996.2%
Spring 2024Individual1,286 of 7,39517.4%
NCAE CyberGames

Team Captain, DeVry Cyber Club

Captain in my final year of competition. In 2025 our team placed 4th of 11 in the Midwest region and I was recognized as Most Improved Teammate.

U.S. Department of Defense

Cyber Sentinel Challenge

Selected to participate, June 2025.

Mountain West Cyber Challenge

Team leader, 46th place

December 2024, on the Hackazon platform. Organized by Deloitte, UCCS and the Rocky Mountain Chapter of AFCEA.

US Cyber Games

Season IV, US Cyber Open

June 2024. Earned the Beginner's Game Room badge, completing several digital forensics challenges.

Work at Zagreus AI

What I build as CSO

Security for a multi-tenant AI platform, built by a small team. Described in general terms; specific designs and findings stay confidential.

Governance

A security program from zero

Built the full program: risk register and plan of action, policies, standards and an evidence process, mapped to NIST SP 800-53 for a federal authorization path.

Architecture

Tenant isolation

Designed and built the first isolated customer environment, with separate identity, data and network boundaries, and proved isolation with positive and negative tests.

Detection

Centralized monitoring

Stood up a central SIEM with log pipelines from every environment and custom detection rules, so security events reach one place within seconds.

Tooling

A security operations console

Built an internal console that combines security checks, alerts, incident cases and compliance evidence, so one person can run the program.

Incident response

Same-night recovery

Led the investigation and recovery of a production data-loss event, restored the service the same night and documented the root cause and fixes.

Secure development

Security review before production

Review code changes for security before they ship, verify claims against the real code and require evidence before a fix is accepted.

Journey

From the shop floor to the CSO seat

15 yrs
Manufacturing

Started on the production floor as a machine operator and moved up to CNC programmer within months. Then spent years as a shop foreman leading mold designers, programmers, machinists and welders, where safety, quality and delivery were measured every day.

2023
First steps in cybersecurity

Google Cybersecurity Certificate, and the decision to go back to school.

2024
Competition and training

First National Cyber League seasons, Cisco Junior Cybersecurity Analyst path, and team leader at the Mountain West Cyber Challenge.

2025
Into the industry

Associate degree with High Honors, ISACA Chicago scholarship, top 0.5% team finish in NCL, and the start of my work as co-founder and Chief Security Officer of Beat.AI.

2026
Zagreus AI

The company relaunched as Zagreus AI. Leading the security program, captaining the DeVry Cyber Club team, and speaking to the next generation of students.

2027
B.S. Cybersecurity & Networking

Expected graduation, May 2027.

Education & training

Always learning

B.S. Cybersecurity & Networking, DeVry UniversityMay 2027

In progress, 4.0 GPA.

A.A.S. Cybersecurity & Networking, DeVry University2025

High Honors, 4.0 GPA.

Undergraduate Certificate in Cybersecurity, DeVry University2025
IT Essentials Certificate2025
Junior Cybersecurity Analyst Career Path, Cisco Networking Academy2024
Google Cybersecurity Certificate, Coursera2023
Speaking & community

Giving back

Panelist, DeVryPro "Inside the Attack: Anatomy of a 2026 Cyberattack"Oct 2026
Featured student success story, DeVry University2025

"DeVry changed my whole world. Not just for me, but for my family."

Featured talk for high school students in Oaxaca, MexicoApr 2025

"Construyendo tu futuro en ciberseguridad." Details below.

NCL preparation workshop for DeVry studentsFeb–Mar 2025

Featured talk

"Construyendo tu Futuro en Ciberseguridad: Educación, Experiencia y Motivación"

CECyTE EMSaD No. 61, Abejones, Oaxaca · Virtual · April 4, 2025

I was invited to speak to students at CECyTE EMSaD No. 61 in Abejones, Oaxaca. The goal was to raise awareness about online risks and show young people from small communities that they can dream big and prepare for a career in technology.

  • 01
    Online safety

    How to protect personal information and avoid common threats.

  • 02
    Cybersecurity fundamentals

    What it is and why it matters in everyday life.

  • 03
    Free learning tools

    How to get started with CTFs and platforms like TryHackMe.

  • 04
    My journey

    From zero experience to security work and national competitions like NCL and the Cyber Sentinel Challenge.

"Por su destacado profesionalismo en la impartición de la conferencia… el cual fue de gran motivación para los alumnos."From the certificate of recognition, signed by the director of CECyTE EMSaD No. 61. In English: "For his outstanding professionalism in delivering the talk, which was a great motivation for the students."
Event flyer: virtual conference by Hector Acosta, Construyendo tu Futuro en Ciberseguridad, April 4
Event flyer
Certificate of recognition to Héctor Acosta from CECyTE Oaxaca, April 4, 2025
Certificate of recognition · CECyTE Oaxaca
Writing

From my LinkedIn

Personal stories about how I got into cybersecurity and what competing taught me.

Desk with laptop, coffee and books at nightLinkedIn article · December 17, 2024

My 2024 Journey: Cybersecurity, Coffee, and Faith-Fueled Perseverance

"Every late-night line of code, every nerve-wracking competition, every academic achievement… I face it all with strength that comes from God."

Read on LinkedIn → Hands typing on a laptopLinkedIn article · November 11, 2024

A Family-Inspired Cyber Journey: My Growth in the National Cyber League and Goals for 2025

"Competing in NCL is more than just scoring points; it's about pushing limits, embracing challenges, and bringing a little of my cultura to the cyber battlefield."

Read on LinkedIn →
Skills

Toolbox

Security leadership

Security architectureGovernance & riskZero TrustIdentity & accessIncident responseSecure SDLCVendor & supply chain risk

Hands-on

SIEM & detectionCloud & API securityRBACNetwork segmentationFirewalls, WAF & TLSVulnerability managementCI/CD security testingSecurity observabilityLinux

Frameworks

NIST CSF 2.0NIST SP 800-53FedRAMPISO/IEC 27001SOC 2HIPAAGDPR
Recommendations

In their words

Cybersecurity & teamwork

He displayed great leadership skills by ensuring smooth operations of our team. Above all, Hector went above and beyond, putting in extra time and effort to keep our team motivated and focused until the end.
Kelly GuansingCybersecurity student, National Cyber League player
Hector was one of the team's few significant scorers… he demonstrated his leadership abilities throughout the match.
Quinton WaldonIT & Networking student, DeVry University
Your strong leadership abilities did not go unnoticed and tremendously helped our team stay focused.
Tatiana VitalB.S. Computer Information Systems student, DeVry University
Your work and leadership was obvious through the events.
Zachary ClergéIncident Response Analyst, U.S. Coast Guard

Leadership

As foreman of the Mold Shop, Hector did a great job in leading safety, quality, delivery, and cost. Hector is a very personable and a servant leader for his team!
Rob StashiLean Six Sigma Master Black Belt
Hector demonstrated exemplary leadership in supervising a diverse team comprising mold designers, programmers, machinists, and welders.
James WrightRetired, managed Hector directly
He was hired as a machine operator and laborer, having very little experience in the industry. In a few short months, he began quickly moving through the ranks, from operator to setup technician to CNC programmer.
K. Dan FerusPresident, JD Machine Parts, Inc.
Hector's commitment to safety and compliance is exemplary.
Christopher MottoFormer colleague, Durand Glass Manufacturing
He always handles himself in every situation professionally.
Leann NegronAdministrative Assistant, former colleague
Hector is a hard working, dedicated, and dependable person.
Anas YounesApplication Engineer, former colleague
He always has a positive attitude, and is always eager to learn something new.
Gregory HendersonMold Designer, former colleague
His positive attitude was very contagious.
Melanie MassStudent, Wilmington University
His commitment to continuous learning further distinguishes him in his role.
Muniappan Alias Sendilmurugan BLean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, ISO 9001 Lead Auditor

Excerpts from LinkedIn recommendations. Full text on LinkedIn.

Let's talk security

Open to conversations about security leadership, speaking with students, and building secure AI platforms.

hectoracybersect@gmail.com
LinkedIn