PNNL

Penny McKenzie is a cybersecurity engineer at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) specializing in securing the Internet of Things (IoT). She designed and launched PNNL’s first Internet of Things Common Operating Environment (IoTCOE), a platform that delivers tailored cybersecurity solutions across the IoT/Industrial IoT (IIoT) life cycle. IoTCOE addresses chemical, physical, and cyber risks by integrating visual analytics, AI, and machine learning (ML), and its 5G integration helps researchers meet both current and emerging cybersecurity challenges.

As program director for the Cyber Halo Innovation Research Program (CHIRP), McKenzie partners with Space Systems Command, the U.S. Space Force’s acquisition arm, to develop the next generation of cybersecurity professionals. She brings deep experience in program development, recruitment, and mentorship, creating pathways for interns and students in areas such as IoT network development, robotics, AI/ML, and operational technology forensics.

Her expertise includes industrial control system (ICS) network monitoring and intrusion detection, forensic analysis, IoT cybersecurity, policy development, and cyber-physical security convergence. Current research includes IoT incident response, risk management frameworks, network monitoring protocols, cyber-physical security for federal facilities, AI/ML, and cybersecurity talent recruitment. McKenzie supports organizations including the International Atomic Energy Agency, Department of Energy, Department of War, and Department of Homeland Security, and she holds a joint appointment at the University of Texas at El Paso developing critical-infrastructure IoT solutions and mentoring students.

• IoT cybersecurity
• IIoT security across the device/system life cycle
• IoT incident response
• Risk management frameworks for IoT/Operational Technology environments
• Network monitoring protocols (especially for IoT/OT)
• Cyber-physical security for federal facilities/critical infrastructure
• AI/ML applications for cybersecurity (including analytics-driven security)
• Intrusion detection for ICSs

• Program leadership and program development 
• Design and stand up of security platforms/environments (e.g., IoTCOE, CyberSAGE)
• Delivery of customized cybersecurity solutions across the IoT/IIoT life cycle
• Integration of visual analytics into security workflows
• Application of AI and ML to cybersecurity problems
• Partnership/collaboration with government and defense stakeholders
• Recruitment and development of cybersecurity talent pipeline 
• Mentorship and development of early career workforce 
• IoT network development
• Robotics-adjacent technical leadership/support (as part of student pathways)

• BA in cybersecurity, Columbia Basin College

• 2025 DOE Distinguished Mentor Award
• 2024 Patent Award
• 2022 STEM Education Award Thought Leadership and Innovation
• 2021 STEM Education Award for Outstanding Contributions in Teaching and Mentoring
• 2021 TEALS Program Award
• 2017 Washington State Transforming Lives Award 

• McKenzie, P. L., M. D. Watson, T. D. Ashley, J. N. Zeliff, E. J. Allard, B. R. Morton, A. M. Kendall, R. L. Maltos, E. Tumanyan, and E. V. Singh. 2025. Zero trust strategies for chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear detection systems: D.1 cyber scenarios (Technical report). https://doi.org/10.2172/2574857
• McKenzie, P. L., M. D. Watson, E. M. Abdelhadi, L. R. O’Neil, and L. E. Campbell. 2024. Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) device cybersecurity characterization process and profile (Technical report). https://doi.org/10.2172/2478166
• Abdelhadi, E. M., M. D. Watson, S. Purohit, Q. J. Wright-Mockler, B. R. Morton, and P. L. McKenzie. 2024. Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office (CWMD) data categorization study: Chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) detection device data (Technical report). https://doi.org/10.2172/2479297
• Preston, J., M. Bertolli, S. Eggers, P. L. McKenzie, D. Thorsen, J. Haack, K. Thomas, L. M. Burke, and D. A. R. De Jesus. 2022. Emerging threats and technology investigation: Industrial Internet of Things—Risk and mitigation for nuclear infrastructure (Technical report). https://doi.org/10.2172/1893157
• McKenzie, P. L., M. D. Watson, T. W. Lemos, L. R. O’Neil, and L. E. Campbell 2022. Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) device cybersecurity characterization process and profile (Technical Report). https://doi.org/10.2172/2396972
• Gourisetti, S. G., M. Touhiduzzaman, T. D. Ashley, S. Pal, and P. L. McKenzie. 2021. “Cybersecurity Risk Assessment Framework for Externally Exposed Energy Delivery Systems.” In Proceedings of the 54th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS 2021), January 4–8, 2021, Virtual, Online, 6936–6944. Los Alamitos, California: IEEE Computer Society. PNNL-SA-156822. https://doi.org/10.24251/HICSS.2021.834; http://hdl.handle.net/10125/71455
• Gourisetti, S. G., H. M. Reeve, P. L. McKenzie, M. Mylrea, P. Ehrlich, G. A. Fink, and D. L. Vrabie. 2021. Challenges and Opportunities to Secure Buildings from Cyber Threats. PNNL-29813. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. https://www.energy.gov/cmei/buildings/articles/challenges-and-opportunities-secure-buildings-cyber-threats
• McKenzie, P. 2021. “Cybersecurity for Smart Devices: Understanding the Behavior of Smart Devices on Your Network.” IEEE Washington Chapter Presentation, December 2021. https://events.vtools.ieee.org/m/293970
• Kwon, R., T. D. Ashley, J. E. Castleberry, P. L. McKenzie, and S. G. Gourisetti. 2020. “Cyber Threat Dictionary Using MITRE ATT&CK Matrix and NIST Cybersecurity Framework Mapping.” In IEEE Resilience Week (RWS 2020), October 19–23, 2020, Salt Lake City, UT, 106–112. Piscataway, New Jersey: IEEE. PNNL-SA-154130. https://doi.org/10.1109/RWS50334.2020.9241271; https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/9241271
• Castleberry, J. E., S. B. Maldonado Rosado, C. P. Baker, P. L. McKenzie, A. L. Britton, M. D. Watson, K. M. Arthur-Durett, et al. 2020. Attack Scenarios Relating to Army Facility-Related Control Systems: Quantifying the Cost to Secure and Cost Savings of the Army’s FRCS Program. PNNL-29642. Richland, WA: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. https://www.pnnl.gov/main/publications/external/technical_reports/PNNL-29642.pdf 
• McKenzie, P. L., D. G. MacDonald, and B. T. Gorton. 2020. “Interconnected of Things – The Fastest Growing Electronic Attack Surface.” In INMM 61st Annual Meeting. PNNL-SA-153690. https://resources.inmm.org/annual-meeting-proceedings/interconnected-things-fastest-growing-electronic-attack-surface
• Gourisetti, S. G., M. E. Mylrea, T. D. Ashley, R. Kwon, J. E. Castleberry, Q. J. Wright-Mockler, P. L. McKenzie, et al. 2019. “Demonstration of the Cybersecurity Framework through Real-world Cyber Attack.” In IEEE Resilience Week (RWS 2019), November 4–7, 2019, San Antonio, TX, 19–25. Piscataway, New Jersey: IEEE. PNNL-SA-144915. https://doi.org/10.1109/RWS47064.2019.8971822; https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/8971822
• Gourisetti, S. G., M. E. Mylrea, T. D. Ashley, R. Kwon, J. E. Castleberry, Q. J. Wright-Mockler, and P. L. McKenzie, et al. 2019. “Demonstration of the Cybersecurity Framework through Real-World Cyber Attack.” San Antonio, Texas. PNNL-SA-149000. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stamp/stamp.jsp?tp='&arnumber=8971822
• Fink, G. A., and P. L. McKenzie. 2018. “Helping IT and OT Defenders Collaborate.” IEEE – IoT – CPS – 2018, Seattle, WA. https://arxiv.org/abs/1904.07374