David Allen
State Cybersecurity Leader of the Year
Georgia’s Chief Information Security Officer David Allen champions collaboration in safeguarding state systems and data. Advocating shared responsibility for security, Allen directed delivery of cybersecurity awareness training completed by some 70,000 state employees in 2019. Allen knows firsthand that every employee has hands in defense. Allen supported several agencies and counties challenged by ransomware attacks, and connected them with high-caliber security resources. Allen coordinated Cyber Dawg 2019, a three-day, multi-agency exercise at the Georgia Cyber Center, where state information security professionals sharpened technical skills for ransomware attack response. The annual event allows practice in live-action scenarios and builds cross-agency bonds.
