Zach Lewis

Order your copy of Locked Up: https://homesteadingciso.com/getlockedup/ Zach Lewis is a senior IT and cybersecurity executive with deep experience in strategic technology leadership, risk mitigation, and operational transformation. As CIO and CISO at a private health sciences university, Zach has led enterprise-scale initiatives that strengthened cybersecurity posture, modernized infrastructure, and aligned IT investments with institutional goals. He is the author of Locked Up: Cybersecurity Threat Mitigation Lessons from a Real-World LockBit Ransomware Response (Wiley, 2026), a practitioner’s guide based on his firsthand experience responding to a major ransomware attack. The book offers practical insights for CISOs, IT leaders, and public-sector institutions navigating the growing cyber threat landscape. Zach’s leadership spans cloud migrations, security modernization, multi-million-dollar budgeting, and vendor strategy. He chairs the Enterprise Risk Management Committee, ensuring strategic oversight of technology adoption, compliance, and resilience. His work integrates GLBA and FERPA compliance, cybersecurity awareness programs, and cross-functional team development to drive both innovation and defensibility. He brings a collaborative, outcome-focused approach—grounded in operational efficiency, user-centered design, and measurable impact. When he's not in the office, you can (try to) find Zach in the woods or taking care of the homestead where his family lives. He always has some new quality of life improvement or project he's working on and enjoys being outside with his kids.