From Newsroom to Code to Fiction

Jayne Lytel is an author and cybersecurity professional whose fiction draws on her experience in artificial intelligence, investigative journalism, and cybersecurity.

As Chief AI Architect at capMedia Inc., Jayne brings a decade in cybersecurity as a federal contractor—including four years at Booz Allen Hamilton—and an AI Fellowship at the R42 Institute. Her thrillers draw on that work: the surveillance systems, the infrastructure vulnerabilities, the corporate logic that treats consequences as externalities.

Her path to writing wound through the newsroom of The Washington Post, where she worked as a copy editor—honing her eye for language and her instinct for story. She served as Washington Deputy Bureau Chief for Institutional Investor Inc. and wrote the syndicated Internet911 column for United Features Syndicate for five years.

In October 1993, Jayne founded the first newsletter chronicling the Internet's commercial rise—a publication that earned her an invitation to CIA headquarters. She watched the digital world emerge and has spent her career documenting and shaping it.

Beyond her professional work, Jayne is a member of the National Press Club and volunteers with the Press Freedom Center. She conceived and developed the Baby Brain Map, an interactive adaptation of Erikson Institute's Brainwonders for child brain development.

Present
Chief AI Architect, capMedia Inc.
Leading AI architecture following fellowship at R42 Institute
2021–2022
USRowing Masters National Champion
Back-to-back national titles in Single Scull
2017
World Indoor Rowing Championships
Gold medalist
2015–2025
Federal Contracting
Cybersecurity and AI expertise for federal agencies
Previous
Cybersecurity Expert, Booz Allen Hamilton
Developed expertise in cyber risk and strategy
1993
The Internet Letter Launch
First newsletter chronicling the Internet's commercial rise; invited to CIA HQ

Credentials & Achievements

Education
MS Cybersecurity, Risk and Strategy
New York University
Education
MA Human Development
Pacific Oaks College
Athletics
USRowing Masters Champion
Single Scull, 2021 & 2022
Athletics
World Indoor Rowing Gold
2017 World Championships
Publishing
Published Author
Perigee/Penguin, Bold Story Press
Recognition
NPC Vivian Awardee
National Press Club

Questions About Jayne

What is Jayne Lytel's background?

Jayne Lytel is an author and cybersecurity expert who serves as Chief AI Architect at capMedia Inc. She holds an MS in Cybersecurity, Risk and Strategy from NYU and an MA in Human Development from Pacific Oaks. Her career spans journalism (Washington Post copy editor, United Features Syndicate columnist), cybersecurity (Booz Allen Hamilton), and technology entrepreneurship (founder of the first newsletter chronicling the Internet's commercial rise in 1993).

What athletic achievements does Jayne Lytel have?

Jayne Lytel is a competitive rower with significant achievements including USRowing Masters National Champion in Single Scull (2021 and 2022) and Gold Medalist at the 2017 World Indoor Rowing Championships. Her athletic discipline informs the intensity and endurance evident in her writing.

What books has Jayne Lytel written?

Jayne Lytel has been published by Perigee/Penguin and Bold Story Press. Her nonfiction book Act Early Against Autism (Perigee/Penguin, 2008) has helped thousands of families navigate early intervention. Her current work, Run From Sunday, is a psychological eco-thriller that draws on her cybersecurity expertise to explore environmental hacktivism, corporate crimes, and the radicalization of climate activists along the Gulf Coast.