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Washington State Recruits New CISO Out of South Carolina

WaTech CIO Jim Weaver announced that South Carolina's deputy CISO Vinod Brahmapuram will be the IT agency's new state CISO. He comes with experience in cybersecurity as well as risk management and regulatory compliance.

Washington Technology Services (WaTech) didn’t take long to find a new chief information security officer (CISO). State CIO Jim Weaver announced Vinod Brahmapuram will assume the role previously held by Ron Buchanan.

Brahmapuram’s most recent post was as the deputy CISO of South Carolina, where he has served for more than two and a half years. He has experience in managing cybersecurity, developing and leading IT teams, and managing risk and regulatory compliance, according to a WaTech release.

“Vinod is an experienced information security professional who has the expertise and leadership skills needed to lead the Office of Cybersecurity and safeguard the personal information of Washington state residents,” Weaver said in the release.

Prior to arriving in South Carolina, Brahmapuram led cybersecurity efforts for the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services in various positions over 11 years. He has a master’s degree in Computer Science from the University of South Carolina and a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Acharya Nagarjuna University in India, according to the release.

IT Security Policy Manager Scott Bream, WaTech’s interim CISO, will continue to oversee the role’s duties until Brahmapuram's first day with the agency on Oct. 21.

Patrick Groves was a staff writer for Government Technology from 2019 to 2020.