IE 11 Not Supported

For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers.

Georgia CISO Out, Long-Term Replacement Not Yet Named

Having stepped down earlier this month, Georgia CISO David Allen has been replaced by interim CISO Mike Davis, who returns to the Georgia Technology Authority after a three-year stint with another state agency.

David+Allen+CISO+Georgia
Georgia’s chief information security officer, David Allen, has stepped down from his role and has been replaced with interim CISO Mike Davis.

Allen, who stepped down earlier this month, served in the CISO role within the Georgia Technology Authority (GTA) for just more than three-and-a-half years, taking over from Stanton Gatewood in April 2019. Allen came to GTA from the Georgia Army National Guard.

Allen’s time at GTA was marked with navigating the outbreak of COVID-19. In the early days of the pandemic, he toldGovernment Technology that he was navigating increased phishing attacks and network scanning activity. He also helped with GTA’s role in the implementation and administration of the Georgia Cyber Center, a state-owned facility which seeks to promote modernization in cybersecurity technology by offering education, training and research.

His replacement, Mike Davis, returns to the office after spending about three years with the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, where he was the agency’s CIO. Davis returned to GTA in July of this year as the state’s deputy CISO, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Davis now takes on the interim CISO role, a transition that was confirmed by Georgia Technology Authority representative Paula Calhoun. The timeline for finding a permanent replacement has not been announced.

Davis has spent more than two decades serving in various IT positions at Georgia state agencies including the Georgia Public Service Commission, Department of Driver Services and Department of Public Safety according to his staff bio on the GTA website.