Author Profile

Marco (Marc) Ayala, an ISA Fellow, brings three decades of expertise in designing, implementing and maintaining process instrumentation, automation systems, safety systems and process control networks. Respected for his strategic vision, team leadership and stakeholder collaboration, Marco drives innovation by developing robust strategies to secure critical systems, ensuring resilience and alignment with national security priorities. 

With more than two decades dedicated to industrial cybersecurity, he has spearheaded initiatives to safeguard the oil and gas (upstream, midstream, downstream), maritime port, offshore facilities and chemical sectors. His leadership supports federal, state and local entities in securing private-sector critical infrastructure. 

A 22-year senior member of the International Society of Automation (ISA), Marco is a certified ISA/IEC 62443 cybersecurity instructor and an active volunteer. He serves as chair of threat intelligence and cybersecurity for the AMSC Gulf of Mexico/America (GOM/GOA) cybersecurity committee, a sworn role with the US Coast Guard overseeing the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). Since 2014, he has been an InfraGard member and currently holds the position of president for the Houston Members Alliance. Marco works at ABS Consulting as the global technical director at the Cybersecurity Center of Excellence working on safety, security and resilience for critical infrastructure.