Laith Araim is a Security Consultant with a focus on cyber security and NERC CIP compliance program development. Mr. Araim’s work at NST includes cyber security program reviews, compliance program efficiency analysis, and the development of policy, process, and procedure documentation to support NERC CIP compliance.
Mr. Araim joined NST in August 2024.
Mr. Araim acquired experience during his work for a civil engineering firm. Mr. Araim helped manage the protection of OT equipment and network security, implemented robust IT solutions to enhance company security including cloud migration, firewall configuration, vulnerability management, and patch management solutions. Mr. Araim developed the Standards of Procedures used in QA/QC, created documentation to ensure compliance with GDPR, NIST, BS3262, and ASHTO, and served as the primary liaison between the company and various private and government entities.
While undergoing his Master’s, Mr. Araim explored numerous topics in cybersecurity including Network security and Architecture; Cybersecurity Laws, Regulations, and Compliance; Ethical Hacking, and Hacking Forensics. Because of this, he has also obtained a certificate in Ethical Hacking by the EC-Council. His capstone project discussed the implementation of MFA and Firewalls to comply with international regulations and implementing network security strategies such as micro-segmentation to enhance network security. His thesis focused on both the technical and non-technical aspects of cybersecurity, discussing the risks of not implementing new security measures. He also identified gaps between NIST and GDPR regulations and implemented practices and provided guidance to remediate compliance failures.
Throughout his Bachelor’s, Mr. Araim worked on research projects with the University focused on Green Energy through the use of microalgae found in Water Treatment Facilities in the United States.
Mr. Araim has a Master of Science in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance from Western Governors University and a Bachelor of Science in Biotechnology with a focus in Bioprocessing and Biomanufacturing from the University of Houston.
Mr. Araim enjoys soccer (Manchester City), football (Houston Texans), travelling (worldwide) and going for hikes (he loves the hikes in Austin, TX).
