California names Peter Liebert new chief information security officer
California’s newest chief information security officer (CISO) is Peter Liebert, the state announced Monday.
Liebert, who joined the state after serving as a senior product manager at FireEye, now serves as the state’s top security official and director of the Office of Information Security at the California Department of Technology (CDT).
Liebert’s fills an empty seat following the departure of former California CISO Michele Robinson in March. CalCloud director Scott MacDonald filled the position in the interim.
Though Liebert joined the state from the private sector, the majority of his experience comes from public service. He served in cybersecurity analysis and leadership roles for the United States Cyber Command, Department of Defense and the U.S. Navy.
Liebert will serve an integral role in operation of the California Cybersecurity Integration Center (Cal-CSIC), an inter-agency, cross-sector body created following an executive order signed by Gov. Jerry Brown last year. The group will work with the California State Threat Assessment System and the U.S Department of Homeland Security to facilitate integrated information sharing across public bodies.
A CDT spokesperson explained that because Liebert has never worked for the state, his early days will consist of learning how the state functions, and IT security operations aren’t expected to see a big shift under his leadership.
“You know, I don’t know that things will change,” she said. “The department has been actively engaged in information security throughout the last year, including in Michele’s departure, and we’ve made great strides. We look forward to him joining the team and the expertise he’ll bring to the state seems phenomenal.”
