Alissa Jay Abdullah
Information Security Advisor
- Life
- 1989 – present
- Born
- July 24, 1989
Alissa Jay Abdullah is an American information security executive and academic. She is currently the Deputy Chief Security Officer at Mastercard, where she oversees enterprise security solutions efforts and safeguard the organisation's information assets. Alissa is also a member of Smartsheet Board of directors.
Early Life and Education
Alissa Jay Abdullah holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Savannah State University. She went on to earn a master's degree in Telecommunications and Computer Networks from The George Washington University, followed by a Ph.D. in Information Technology Management from Capella University.
Career
Abdullah began her professional career in government service as a cryptologic mathematician with the U.S. Department of Defense, establishing an early foundation in applied mathematics and national security. She subsequently transitioned into the private sector, taking on technical leadership positions including deputy chief technology officer at Lockheed Martin and associate vice president for enterprise solutions at Catapult Technology.
She later served as chief information security officer at Stryker Corporation, where she held responsibility for worldwide information security activities and for defining product-related security standards and governance frameworks.
White House and Federal Service
From March 2012 to 2015, Abdullah served as deputy chief information officer for the Executive Office of the 44th U.S. President. In that capacity she contributed to efforts to modernize White House IT infrastructure, including initiatives involving cloud services and virtualization, and participated in cybersecurity planning for both current and emerging technology developments.
Xerox and Subsequent Roles
Following her White House tenure, Abdullah served as chief information security officer at Xerox, where she led a corporate information-risk management program covering the enterprise. She has also held the position of Vice Chairman within BITS, the technology policy division of the Bank Policy Institute (BPI).
Mastercard
Abdullah joined Mastercard in 2019 as Deputy Chief Security Officer. In this role she leads the Emerging Corporate Security Solutions organization and is responsible for protecting Mastercard's information assets, advancing the company's security posture, and shaping future security strategy. Her work at Mastercard includes efforts related to zero-trust approaches and other modern security frameworks.
Academia and Media
In parallel with her executive career, Abdullah has been active in higher education as an adjunct professor, teaching courses in statistics, algebra, information technology, and leadership at institutions including the University of Maryland, American Public University, South University, the University of Phoenix, American Sentinel University, Kaplan University, and the College of Southern Maryland.
She hosts Cybercrime Magazine's Mastering Cyber and CISO 500 podcasts, contributing to broader public discourse on cybersecurity topics.
Recognition
In 2021, Abdullah was included among the "67 Powerful Black Women CEOs and Executives in Corporate America" and was appointed to the Board of Directors of Smartsheet. In 2024, she was featured in Women Know Cyber: 150 Fascinating Females Fighting Cybercrime and listed among the Top 30 Cybersecurity Influencers to Follow.
