WESTBOROUGH – The Massachusetts Technology Collaborative (MassTech), a public economic development agency for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, has hired career intelligence and cybersecurity expert John Petrozzelli as the new director of its MassCyberCenter division. Petrozzelli brings a strong background from previous roles with managed services provider Magna5’s Boston office, as well as strong cyber and defense roles with both the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Air Force. His mix of private- and public-sector experiences aligns closely with the mission of the MassCyberCenter, which was launched in September 2017 to enhance economic opportunities for the Massachusetts cybersecurity ecosystem, to strengthen the talent pipeline, and to bolster the cyber resiliency of the Commonwealth’s public and private-sector communities.
“John’s mix of experience from the federal level, the military, and the private-sector shows he has the ability to create strong partnerships, which is a critical need given the CyberCenter’s dual mission and work with stakeholders at the local, state, and national levels,” said Carolyn Kirk, MassTech’s Executive Director. “His career experiences, including work with business clients and his outstanding cybersecurity credentials, will be a big benefit to the CyberCenter’s programs and to Massachusetts as a whole.”
“This is a remarkable opportunity for me to utilize my experience to protect Massachusetts and the United States while also supporting innovation in the private sector,” said Petrozzelli. “I am very excited to work with this talented team of professionals from very diverse public and private sector backgrounds.”
Petrozzelli comes to the state agency from managed security services provider, Magna5, where he was Director of Cybersecurity for the Boston Metro Area, managing day-to-day operations of the company’s Security Operations Center, endpoint and network protection, cyber awareness training, and Security Information Event Management software. He worked with Magna5’s clients to develop cybersecurity plans, vulnerability assessments, and ensuring their cybersecurity governance models followed industry best practices.
Bolstering the CyberCenter’s focus on resiliency, Petrozzelli brings extensive experience gained while serving with the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for 17 years from 2004 to 2021. As an Intelligence Analyst with the FBI in New Haven, Conn., he assisted in the creation of the Connecticut Intelligence Center Fusion Center and with the FBI InfraGard public outreach program.
In 2007, Petrozzelli transferred to the FBI Boston Field Office, where he supported Civil Rights and Public corruption investigations, rising to the role of Supervisory Intelligence Analyst supporting analysis over criminal programs. During the Boston Marathon Bombing manhunt in 2013, he was a day shift intelligence supervisor, supporting the manhunt and subsequently leading the computer forensic review of subjects’ digital media. Throughout the investigation and subsequent trial, he led the review of more than 33,000 emails, 120,000 photos, and 12,000 videos for the purposes of criminal discovery and trial preparation, creating reports used to support an eventual conviction. He rose to the level of the FBI Boston Office’s Chief Security Officer.
Petrozzelli is a Veteran, having begun his career in the U.S. Air Force as an intelligence officer in 1998, serving in the Republic of Korea, Italy, and Germany supporting C-17 missions around the globe for Operation Enduring Freedom.
He earned his Master of Science in Information Security from Boston University in 2016 and has been a featured speaker at numerous national regional conferences, including the Massachusetts National Cyber Crime Conference, the Microsoft Digital Crimes Community Conference in Vienna, Austria (2016), ThreatLocker Zero Trust World, and the International Crisis Management Conference (2023).
In addition to his professional accolades, he also completed the 2017 Boston Marathon Tough Ruck, a 26.2 mile hike carrying 15-50 pounds in memory of fallen military members and the victims of the Marathon Bombing.
The MassCyberCenter manages a diverse set of programs focused on:
- Talent development through the Mass. Cybersecurity Mentorship Program and the Mass. Cyber Training & Education Working Group;
- Overseeing statewide cyber planning and coordination with private-sector, federal, state, and local partners through the Cyber Resilient Massachusetts Working Group;
- The development of resources to bolster cyber resiliency at the local level, including interactive tools such as the Minimum Baseline of Cybersecurity; and
- Hosting statewide events to engage stakeholders on key topics, including promotion of Mass. Cybersecurity Month each October, hosting the annual Mass. Cybersecurity Forum, and organizing a statewide Municipal Cybersecurity Summit.
Petrozzelli is the second director of the MassCyberCenter, following Stephanie Helm, who departed the agency in January 2023 due to personal reasons.
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About the MassCyberCenter
The MassCyberCenter was launched in September 2017 with a vision to enhance opportunities for the Massachusetts cybersecurity ecosystem to compete as the national cybersecurity leader while strengthening the resiliency of the Commonwealth’s public and private communities. Learn more at masscybercenter.org.
Media Contact:
Brian Noyes, Director of Communications and Marketing, MassTech Collborative
noyes (at) masstech.org