Chief Officer Award Finalist Fouzan Pal on CMMC, AI & the Cybersecurity Mission
Chief Officer Award Finalist Fouzan Pal on CMMC, AI & the Cybersecurity Mission
Publish Date: 2026-05-27 08:20:00
Source Domain: washingtonexec.com
Using an unordered list, summarize the following article with between 4 and 8 key points.
Fouzan Pal, AMERICAN SYSTEMS
When AMERICAN SYSTEMS acquired Epsilon, Inc., Fouzan Pal faced a problem with a tight clock attached: fold a new company’s infrastructure into an already CMMC-certified environment without losing the certification, slowing the business or exposing federal customers to risk. His team pulled it off, and the combined enterprise earned full CMMC certification.
Pal, information technology director at AMERICAN SYSTEMS, is a finalist for WashingtonExec’s Chief Officer Awards in the Private & Public Company CISO Executive of the Year category. The event takes place live June 2.
Here, he discusses the Epsilon integration, why responsible AI adoption sits at the top of his agenda, and the career advice he gives anyone thinking about cybersecurity as a profession.
What key achievements did you have in 2025/2026?
In 2025–2026, our most significant cybersecurity milestone was directly tied to AMERICAN SYSTEMS’ acquisition of Epsilon, Inc. Although AMERICAN SYSTEMS had already earned CMMC certification the prior year, integrating Epsilon’s environment introduced immediate and meaningful risk. We rapidly assessed Epsilon’s environment, mitigated vulnerabilities, and securely integrated its infrastructure into AMERICAN SYSTEMS’ architecture without disrupting ongoing business. As a result, the combined environment achieved full CMMC certification, allowing us to continue competing for high-assurance federal contracts while maintaining the strong security posture our customers expect.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the mission?
Going forward, my primary focus is the responsible adoption of artificial intelligence within AMERICAN SYSTEMS’ cybersecurity operations. AI is critical to keeping pace with rapidly evolving threats, but as a government contractor, we must meet strict regulatory and compliance requirements for any AI models or tooling we deploy. Threat actors operate without such constraints, giving them an advantage as they weaponize AI at speed. Our mission depends on closing that gap: using AI to enhance detection and response while ensuring we remain fully compliant, auditable, and aligned with our customers’ expectations.
What is your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
For anyone considering a start in cybersecurity, my advice is simple: do it only if you genuinely enjoy the work. It is a demanding field, and passion is what sustains you through the long days and tough incidents. For professionals already in the field, stay curious and keep an investigative mindset. And for everyone, regardless of experience, never lose sight of the mission: cybersecurity exists to enable the business, not block it. The best cybersecurity leaders protect the enterprise while empowering it to move forward with confidence.
What is something about you that most people do not know?
Not many people know this, but I am an aspiring author and write under the pen name F. M. Pal. I already have one book published, and I am hoping it is just the first of many.
Meet the other Chief Officer Awards finalists here.
