Last year, legislation in Kansas formally established the CISO role and the state’s security office, and required that agencies have their own heads of security. This means that “the ownership and responsibility of cybersecurity in state government falls within the agencies,” Chief Information Technology Officer Lee Allen explained at the National Association of State Chief Information Officers Midyear conference last week.
Allen said he sees the role of CISO as distinct from his CITO position, and that he tries to give state security chief Rod Blunt autonomy to ensure security needs are being met, while supporting those efforts however he can.
The Center for Digital Government is part of e.Republic, Government Technology’s parent company.
