Captain Ballentine leads operational technology cybersecurity for the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, focused on strengthening the resilience and security of complex transportation systems spanning maritime, aviation, rail, bridge, tunnel, and related operational environments.

Captain Ballentine’s work centers on practical OT risk reduction: improving asset visibility, advancing governance, supporting vulnerability management, and preparing organizations to operate through disruption. In critical infrastructure, cybersecurity is not merely a technical function — it is an operational responsibility directly tied to safety, continuity, public trust, and executive accountability.

A core aspect of his approach is aligning how different parts of an organization perceive cyber risk. Engineering, operations, cybersecurity, finance, and executive leadership often operate from different “risk dialects.” Effective OT cybersecurity leadership requires translating those perspectives into a unified operational picture that supports timely, defensible decision-making.

Earlier in his career, Captain Ballentine supported OT cybersecurity initiatives for major European utilities and infrastructure organizations. His background also includes decades of service in the U.S. Merchant Marine Reserve and Navy Reserve following Army service in Vietnam, experiences that continue to shape his maritime and national-security perspective on infrastructure protection and resilience.

Captain Ballentine remains active in advisory work, writing, training, and industry engagement focused on OT cybersecurity, infrastructure resilience, and operational disaster recovery planning.