World Class Wednesday: Matthew Keresey: Driven to Improve Automotive Cybersecurity

Earning the title of Automotive Service Excellence World-Class Technician is no small accomplishment. To be recognized as World Class, these individuals have obtained ASE certification in 22 specialty areas: A1-A8 (automotive), T1-T8 (medium/heavy truck), B2-B5 (collision repair), and L1-L2 (advanced).  

Not only is achieving certification in these areas impressive, but as of 2026, only 2,000 technicians have achieved World Class status.  

In this Q&A, Motor Age sat down with Matthew Keresey—an ASE World Class technician and founder of Kerlogix, living in Veazie, Maine—to learn more about his journey in the automotive industry and how gaining World-Class status has helped advance his career. 

Motor Age: Please introduce yourself and tell us about your experience in the automotive industry. 

Matthew Keresey: I spent several years as a professional technician in Falmouth, Maine, where I specialized in high-performance European engineering and engine diagnostics. I achieved ASE World Class status at just 22 years old in 2022. Today, I apply that same "zero-error" diagnostic mindset to the field of cybersecurity and CMMC compliance.

I’ve always viewed the automotive technician role as that of a "systems architect." My career has been defined by a rapid transition from the physical layer to the digital layer. While my roots are in high-stakes engine builds and forensic mechanical repair, my current mission is securing the technical infrastructure of the businesses that keep our country running through my firm, Kerlogix.

Motor Age: What’s the most memorable repair you’ve ever completed? 

Keresey: Two repairs define my approach to problem-solving. Early on, I saved an antique 1983 Cadillac DeVille with a failed water pump. A water pump that was virtually extinct in the Northeast. I eventually had to source one of the last new-old-stock units in the country from California.

Later, I specialized in Jaguar coolant systems, notorious for microscopic "ghost" leaks that only appear under specific thermal loads.

Those jobs taught me that whether you are hunting a coolant leak or a network vulnerability, persistence and forensic documentation are your only real tools.

Motor Age: One thing we can’t guess from your certifications. 

Keresey: I have a deep-seated obsession with digital logic and network architecture. Most people see a vehicle as a machine; I see it as a "rolling server."

This fascination with how hardware and software communicate is exactly what allowed me to bridge the gap between being a Master Tech at 22 and becoming a Cybersecurity Consultant today. I still use the same logic-tree diagnostics for my clients that I used on Mercedes engines in Falmouth.

Motor Age: What automotive technology trend are you most excited about/ Most concerned about?

Keresey: I am excited about the "Digital-Physical Convergence." Technicians are being elevated to high-level systems analysts, which is a necessary shift for the industry.

However, I am concerned about Supply Chain Cybersecurity. As vehicles and shop tools become more connected, they become targets for external threats. We are entering an era where protecting a shop’s data is just as critical to safety as properly torquing a wheel.

Motor Age: How has ASE certification helped advance your career?

Keresey: ASE World Class status provided the technical "spine" for my evolution from the shop floor to the consulting world.

Achieving it so early in my career gave me the professional credibility to launch Kerlogix where I now help defense subcontractors and technical firms navigate CMMC compliance.

I am taking the same diagnostic rigor I used on Mercedes-Benz engines and applying it to help secure the U.S. defense supply chain. Kerlogix is essentially the "World Class" standard applied to cybersecurity.