Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
Application Compliance & Security Lead
Full details on LinkedIn
The complete job description, requirements, and application details are available on the original posting.
About Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) is a not-for-profit research center affiliated with Johns Hopkins University, established in 1942. Headquartered in Laurel, Maryland, APL employs over 8,800 people and focuses on advanced research and engineering primarily for U.S. government sponsors. The lab addresses national security, space exploration, and various complex challenges. APL has a rich history, beginning with its development of the proximity fuze during World War II. It has since expanded its expertise into areas such as air and missile defense, undersea warfare, space systems, and biomedical innovations. Notable projects include the MESSENGER spacecraft, the Transit satellite navigation system, and the development of the disposable syringe. APL is recognized for its contributions to defense and civilian applications, completing over 600 projects that emphasize mission-critical technologies.
Security at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory
Compiled from public job postings, careers pages, and company materials. Data may not reflect current state — verify during interviews.
Security Philosophy
- APL's AppSec mission is to provide advanced situational awareness and security across platforms. The team prioritizes developer enablement through mentoring and integration into existing workflows rather than acting as gatekeepers.
- The risk philosophy focuses on standardizing alerts and reducing noise to identify real threats, with goals centered on improving the accuracy of security signals and detecting real threats while reducing false alarms..
Security Team
- The AppSec function resides within the Information Technology Services Department (ITSD).
- Key leaders include Michael Misumi, Department Head of ITSD and Chief Information Officer, and Leonard Moss, Department Head of Security Services and Chief Security Officer.
- The team prioritizes integration of security into existing developer workflows with mentoring on secure coding standards.
- There is currently 1 active AppSec job posting.
- Common skill patterns include SAST/DAST integration into CI/CD, SBOM management, and developer mentoring.
Key Initiatives
Security is integrated directly into the development lifecycle with tools integrated into CI/CD pipelines and DevSecOps workflows. Security reviews are integrated into agile sprints. Recent initiatives include the development of Behavioral Alerting Sets for Control Systems (BAS/CS), for which APL was selected. Vulnerability management intake is driven by automated scanning results, though specific SLAs and MTTR metrics are not publicly available.
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