Dewayne Hart
Founder & CEO, SEMAIS |"20 Years in the Navy. A Career Securing What Matters."
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As cyber threats escalate in speed and sophistication, the security landscape demands advanced knowledge through awareness, activation, and improved practice. This is where Dewayne Hart works best. He is an all-cyber professional who believes cybersecurity is no longer just a technical issue — it is a leadership, mindset, and quality-of-life challenge that shapes how we live, work, and connect.
Known for delivering common-sense strategies and actionable roadmaps, Hart helps businesses and citizens stay proactive against rapidly evolving threat actors in an increasingly digital world. At the core of his approach is a simple but powerful idea: to defend effectively, people must learn to think like adversaries. He equips his audiences with the knowledge, resources, and tools to put on a "Hacker's Hat," enabling them to anticipate threats before they become incidents.
Hart has lived the operator-to-leader path he teaches. Over twenty years in the U.S. Navy, he rose from maintaining computer systems and weapons-defense platforms to leading information-security efforts — experience that shaped his mission-focused discipline and operational approach to the field. In 2014, he founded Secure Managed Instructional Systems, LLC (SEMAIS), a Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business specializing in cybersecurity advisory and workforce development, guided by its motto: "Sustaining 360-Degree Cyber Visibility." He holds the CISSP, CEH, CGRC, and CND certifications and a Master of Science in Information Assurance, and has strengthened cyber and workforce programs across the DoD and federal government, including the U.S. Army, Defense Logistics Agency, and Department of Veterans Affairs.
A recognized voice in the cybersecurity community, Hart hosts the Chief of Cybersecurity platform, where he explores how security directly affects everyday digital life. His work spans artificial intelligence, cybersecurity leadership, cyber awareness, workforce modernization, and cybercrime — bridging technical realities with leadership accountability. He is the author of two books examining how mindset and leadership, not just technology, shape digital safety: The Cybersecurity Mindset: A Virtual and Transformational Thinking Mode, which challenges readers to rethink risk and resilience, and Cybersecurity Leadership: How to Develop a Successful Mentality and Win, which examines how leadership decisions and culture influence security outcomes.
From the National Cybersecurity Summit to the Incyber Forum, Techno Security & Digital Forensics, GovTechCon, Capitol Technology University, and AFCEA conferences nationwide, Hart has inspired executives, practitioners, and students alike. Through his advisory, speaking, and writing, he equips security teams with the foresight to transform cybersecurity from a reactive technical task into a definitive strategic advantage.
Example of Speaking History
GDS Group — Business at the Forefront of Cybersecurity
Capitol Technology University — Leadership Success Before the Attack
GovTechCon — Transitioning to Strategic Tech Leadership
Incyber Forum Canada — AI and Modern Warfare
AFCEA DHS Conference — Building Cyberdefenders That Win for National Security
AFCEA Mid-Atlantic — Creating a Unified Threat Picture for Command Leadership
Techno Security — Building 360° Cyber Visibility
National Cybersecurity Summit — Cracking the Code: AI & Cyber
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