Cybersecurity Is Homeland Security: The Arizona Approach
As NASCIO gets under way in Louisville, Ky., GT talked to Arizona CISO Tim Roemer about what it means to serve jointly as the state’s top official for cybersecurity and homeland security.
In April, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine created the new executive-level position of cybersecurity strategic advisor, naming CyberOhio Chairman Kirk Herath to the post. Two months later, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed Colin Ahern the state’s first chief cyber officer, charging him in part with oversight of the state’s recently formed cyber operations center. For both Ohio and New York, these new roles complement the work of an existing state chief information security officer: Anupam Srivastava and Chris DeSain, respectively.
In Arizona, Roemer’s dual role gives him the necessary respect with internal agencies, as well as partners outside the state organization.
“When we’re coming to them from the Arizona Department of Homeland Security, from a director of state homeland security who’s also a state CISO, it gives us more credibility to all of those agencies that our director is on the governor’s cabinet,” he said.
Noelle Knell is the executive editor for e.Republic, responsible for setting the overall direction for e.Republic’s editorial platforms, including Government Technology, Governing, Industry Insider, Emergency Management and the Center for Digital Education. She has been with e.Republic since 2011, and has decades of writing, editing and leadership experience. A California native, Noelle has worked in both state and local government, and is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, with majors in political science and American history.
Lauren Kinkade is the managing editor for Government Technology magazine. She has a degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley, and more than 15 years’ experience in book and magazine publishing.
