Modernizing Compliance and Risk Management Across Federal Systems: Cybersecurity Leadership at USDA

As part of her role supporting the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Amy Bittle led mission-critical compliance and risk activities that helped the agency modernize its cybersecurity infrastructure. Working across procurement, quality assurance, and risk analysis, Amy brought a strategic lens to technical execution.

The Challenge

USDA systems required alignment with NIST 800-171 and DFARS to meet cybersecurity requirements across multiple federal programs. The agency also needed CMMC readiness, vendor oversight, and 3PAO-level audit prep to ensure compliance during procurement cycles.

The Approach

Amy led a $100,000 security-focused project lifecycle from initiation to delivery, managing a team of 15. She oversaw security assessment packages, coordinated with compliance teams, and implemented governance frameworks to reduce risk exposure.

The Impact

Delivered full compliance documentation and controls in line with CMMC and DFARS Reduced procurement-related risk across critical USDA systems Coordinated cross-functional audit teams to ensure success through all SDLC stages

The Breakdown: