Overview

Khürt Williams is Lead Cybersecurity Architect (Vice President) at M&T Bank, where he designs and implements secure technology solutions that align with business objectives, regulatory requirements, and enterprise risk management. With over 20 years of experience across finance, technology, and government sectors, Williams bridges the gap between development, operations, and security in complex environments. His expertise encompasses cloud and AI security, regulatory compliance, and enabling business innovation through practical, risk-driven solutions.

Professional Credentials

Williams holds active certifications including Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP), AWS Certified AI Practitioner, AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner, and Information Technology Infrastructure Library v3 (ITILv3). His professional development demonstrates expertise in cybersecurity architecture, cloud security, artificial intelligence applications, and IT service management frameworks.

Areas of Expertise

As Lead Cybersecurity Architect, Williams' expertise centres on enterprise security architecture, cloud security, and regulatory compliance within the financial services sector. He specialises in developing secure architecture strategies aligned with enterprise security frameworks, integrating security into SDLC and DevOps environments, and implementing Zero Trust and Identity Access Management solutions. His professional focus encompasses threat modelling, risk management, and ensuring compliance with financial industry regulations including FFIEC, SOX, and NIST frameworks.

Williams' technical proficiency extends to cybersecurity architecture design, secure development lifecycle implementation, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) automation for cloud environments. His approach emphasises collaborative stakeholder engagement to balance security requirements with business innovation and operational efficiency.

Professional Focus

Throughout his career, Williams has progressed from R&D and web development foundations to senior leadership roles in cybersecurity architecture. His current responsibilities at M&T Bank involve collaborating with cross-functional teams including Cybersecurity, Engineering, and Technology departments to ensure robust security controls across enterprise systems and applications. Williams has provided strategic security guidance to major organisations including Santander Holdings USA, CLS Group, State of New Jersey Courts, and Bristol Myers Squibb.

His professional contributions include leading security architecture assessments, conducting comprehensive threat modelling, implementing regulatory compliance frameworks, and advancing cybersecurity practices through continuous evaluation of emerging threats and cutting-edge security technologies. Williams maintains a security-first mindset whilst serving as a trusted advisor to financial services and government sectors.