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Former State Official to Lead Federal Cybersecurity Efforts

Mark Weatherford, former cybersecurity chief for California and Colorado, is named to new DHS post.

Mark Weatherford, California’s former chief information security officer, will lead cybersecurity efforts for the federal government. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano appointed Weatherford on Thursday to the newly created position of deputy under secretary for cybersecurity.

The appointment was announced in a blog post on the Department of Homeland Security website. Weatherford’s new position, located within the DHS National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD), focuses on large cybersecurity operations and communications resilience.

“The newly created position will allow the Department to better carry out our mission to create a safe, secure and resilient cyberspace” wrote DHS Under Secretary Rand Beers.

Weatherford served as California’s chief information security officer from 2008 to 2010 before leaving to join the North American Electric Reliability Corp. (NERC) as vice president and chief security officer. NERC is an organization of U.S. electrical grid operators that ensures the reliability of the North American bulk power system

Before coming to California, Weatherford spent three years as Colorado’s chief information security officer. He’s also a former naval cryptologic officer, where he led the Navy’s Computer Network Defense operations and the Naval Incident Response Team.

Weatherford, who is a security columnist for Government Technology magazine, will start his new position in mid-November.

 

Miriam Jones is a former chief copy editor of Government Technology, Governing, Public CIO and Emergency Management magazines.