Demond Waters
Chief Information Security Officer at NYC Department of Education
New York, New York
Summary
Leader of large-scale, zero-trust security for a complex education environment: Waters oversees cybersecurity for the largest U.S. school system, implementing zero-trust architectures (ZPA/ZIA), TLS inspection at scale, and device-level protections to secure over a million users and millions of devices. zscaler+2
Advocate for student safety and the intersection of digital and physical wellbeing: He frames digital security as part of student safety, using identity and device management to support interventions and protect vulnerable students while enforcing policies like CIPA. route-fifty+1
Builder of workforce pipelines and educator-mentor: Waters has driven programs to expose students to cybersecurity careers via apprenticeships, CUNY fellowships, and vendor partnerships (e.g., Zscaler Academy), helping students earn certifications and real-world experience. networkworld+1
Public-facing thought leader and speaker on cybersecurity and AI risk: Regularly participates in panels and conferences about AI's impact on cybersecurity, and is profiled as a speaker at industry events. columbia+2
Work
Education
Projects
Writing
NYC Department of Education builds the pipeline for future cybersecurity professionals
January 1, 2024First‑person / departmental piece describing NYC DOE programs to train and mentor students for careers in cybersecurity, outlining apprenticeship programs, partnerships, and student success stories.
Demond Waters — Author Page
Author page and guest-authored content on cloud security, zero trust, and secure digital transformation published through Zscaler's blog and customer advocacy channels.