About Us

Mike Semel

CEO & Founder
CMMC CCA, CCP, & RP, CBCP, CCRP, CHP, CHSP, CSCS

Employment

Semel Consulting, August 2012 ‑ present, President/Chief Compliance Officer

Job Responsibilities: Provide startup financing. Develop and implement business and cybersecurity strategies hire and manage contracted workforce, deliver consulting services; sales and marketing; manage client relationships – deliver compliance services for HIPAA, CMMC, NIST, PCI DSS, GLBA, FTC Safeguards Rule, State Laws, Contracts, and Cyber Insurance. Create Business Continuity Plans in different industries. Provide content for compliance software. Create compliance training courses. Conference speaking. Writing for publications and websites.

Business Continuity Technologies, June 2010 – August 2012, VP/Owner/Security Officer

Job Responsibilities: Develop and implement business and cybersecurity strategies hire and manage workforce, manage technical and consulting services; sales and marketing; manage client relationships. – deliver compliance services for HIPAA, , NIST, PCI DSS, GLBA, State Laws, Contracts, and Cyber Insurance. Create Business Continuity Plans in different industries.

White Pine County School District, Ely, NV- July 2007 – August 2012 - Chief Information Officer – Outsourced through Business Continuity Technologies and Connecting Point of Las Vegas

Job Responsibilities: Develop and implement cybersecurity strategies select cybersecurity tools; create and implement processes; manage hybrid workforce of employees and contractors, manage technical services; budgeting, create cybersecurity policies; oversee user training; advise leadership and board. Managed compliance with FERPA, CIPA, E-Rate, State Laws, and grant requirements.

XiloCore (online backup provider), January – June 2010 - Chief Operating Officer

Job Responsibilities: Manage technical team; oversee helpdesk; manage data restoration team; train users; manage client relationships. Managed compliance with HIPAA, FERPA, CIPA, E-Rate, State Laws, and grant requirements. Create Business Continuity Plans in different industries.

Connecting Point of Las Vegas, May 2006 – June 2010 VP / Owner

Job Responsibilities: Develop and implement business and cybersecurity strategies hire and manage workforce, manage technical and consulting services; sales and marketing; manage client relationships – deliver compliance services for HIPAA, , NIST, PCI DSS, GLBA, State Laws, Contracts, and Cyber Insurance. Create Business Continuity Plans in different industries.

Schuyler Hospital/Seneca View Skilled Nursing Facility- June 2004 – May 2006 - Chief Information Officer

Outsourced through Chemung Computer and Databranch

Job Responsibilities: Develop and implement cybersecurity strategies select cybersecurity tools; create and implement processes; manage hybrid workforce of employees and contractors, manage technical services; budgeting, create cybersecurity policies; oversee user training; advise leadership and board. Managed compliance with HIPAA, State Laws, and accreditation requirements.

Databranch, Elmira Heights, NY, June 2004 – May,2006 – Regional Manager

Job Responsibilities: Develop and implement cybersecurity strategies hire and manage local workforce, manage technical and consulting services; sales and marketing; manage client relationships – deliver compliance services for HIPAA, NIST, PCI DSS, GLBA, State Laws, Contracts, and Cyber Insurance. Create Business Continuity Plans in different industries.

Chemung Computer, Elmira Heights, NY, January 1980 – June 2004 – Owner

Job Responsibilities: Provide startup financing. Develop and implement business and cybersecurity strategies hire and manage workforce, manage technical and consulting services; sales and marketing; manage client relationships. – deliver compliance services for HIPAA, NIST, PCI DSS, GLBA, State Laws, and Contracts.

2011 “Channelnomics Influencer” Award Winner

Primary Skills

CMMC and NIST 800-171 Compliance, NIST CSF, HIPAA Compliance (certified) & Joint Commission compliance; IT Management; Disaster and Business Continuity Planning (certified); assessments for compliance and business continuity;  IT Assessments for School Districts; Executive Level consulting; CIO for hire; network design; IT policies and procedures; project management; ROI evaluation; training; Able to create compliance documentation, , executive level reports marketing materials, effective proposals; IT cost control & budgeting; IT investment justification; able to effectively communicate technology with non-technical executives. 

Professional Summary

• CMMC-AB CMMC Certified Assessor (CCA) 2024, Certified Professional (CCP) 2023, CMMC Registered Practitioner (RP) 2021
• (Certified Business Continuity Professional (CBCP) – since 2006 - Disaster Recovery Institute International Business Continuity Plan for $ 4 billion credit union and a $ 1 billion health plan; plan review for International Tax Service; 200+ smaller businesses; our clients survived Superstorm Sandy, the Joplin Tornado, and more
• Certified Cyber Resilience Professional (CCRP) - 2022 Disaster Recovery Institute International)
• Member, DRI (Disaster Recovery Institute) International Professional Practices Select Committee - 2021
• CompTIA Security Trustmark - Only person to have consulted with CompTIA on the original Security Trustmark (2008), the Security Trustmark Plus (2014), and the Cybersecurity Trustmark (2022)
• Certified HIPAA Administrator, since 2003; Certified HIPAA Professional since 2006 (HIPAA Academy)‑ have conducted many HIPAA Security Rule assessments and compliance projects including medical offices, hospitals, government agencies; led compliance assessment teams for 3 Nevada school districts and HIPAA assessments for a New York county; Maryland State Agency; hospital; medical practices
• Certified Security Compliance Specialist (HIPAA Academy) 2012
• Authored Certified HIPAA Security Professional (CHSP) Training Course—for 4Medapproved, professionally reviewed and qualifies for health care continuing education units
• Member, FBI Infragard – 2003 - present
• Outsourced Chief Information Officer (CIO) for White Pine County School District, Ely, NV, 2007 ‑ 2012 responsible for maintaining all network infrastructure; helped district qualify for over $ 1 million in E-rate discounts
• Apple Education Sales Consultant, 1990 ‑ 1991, responsible for $ 10 million in Apple Sales, Support, and Service to educational institutions in New York and Pennsylvania
• Elected Chair, CompTIA IT Security Community - 2011; Co-chair CompTIA Ambassadors
• CIO,Schuyler Hospital, Montour Falls, NY, 2004 – 2006 ‑ increased IT reliability and flexibility, reduced downtime to zero; lowered IT department operating budget by 32% over 2 years; HIPAA compliance
• Writer - Business Solutions Magazine cover story; Hewlett-Packard Success Story; and D-Link Case Study; Computing Channels Magazine—wrote 4,000 word cover story
• Manager - 30 years managing between 7 and 30 network engineers & service technicians
• Advisor - 18+ years’ experience in IT manufacturer and industry Advisory Councils- Compaq, Ingram, Xerox; Served on Executive Level advisory panels for two multi-billion $$ companies ; Chaired Software Development Team—Intelligent Electronics Service Management Software
• Speaker - Conference speaker—numerous conferences, audiences up to 800 people
• Subject Matter Expert - Computer Technology Industry Association Security Trustmark Development Team, 2008
• Best-Selling Author, How to Avoid HIPAA Headaches, 2017 Co-Author—The CompTIA Security Trustmark Quick Reference Guide, 2009

Mike Semel is recognized as a thought leader in the IT, compliance and business continuity industries. He is the President and Complianceologist at Semel Consulting, focused on regulatory compliance and Business Continuity planning. Mike is a CMMC Certified Assessor (CCA), CMMC Certified Professional (CCP), CMMC Registered Practitioner, Certified Security Compliance Specialist, Disaster Recovery Institute Certified Business Continuity Professional & Certified Cyber Resilience Professional, Certified HIPAA Security Professional, and Certified Health IT Specialist. He has owned or managed MSP companies for over 30 years; served as Chief Information Officer (CIO) for a hospital and a K-12 school district; and managed operations at an online backup company. Mike is the only expert who consulted with CompTIA on the original Security Trustmark (2008), the Security Trustmark Plus (2014), and the Cybersecurity Trustmark (2023)He is the best-selling author of How to Avoid HIPAA Headaches.