California’s cybersecurity chief to step down after 7 years

California Chief Information Security Officer Vitaliy Panych will step down after seven years leading the state’s cybersecurity strategy, he announced on social media last week.

Panych, whom Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed in 2021, after serving nearly two years in an acting capacity, helped steer California through a period of rapidly evolving cybersecurity threats — including the COVID-19 pandemic, escalating ransomware attacks and the state’s growing adoption of artificial intelligence.

Panych’s departure leaves one of state government’s highest-profile technology leadership positions open as California continues confronting increasingly sophisticated cyber threats.

“I lost sleep over this one for many months. The decision was not easy, and here is why,” Panych wrote in a LinkedIn post on Friday. “Being CISO of California is an honor and a privilege, even with the punishing challenges that come with it. We prevailed through them as one cyber community, with incredible support from our administration.”

Shortly after his appointment, Panych told this publication he hoped to strengthen the California Cybersecurity Integration Center, expand continuous network monitoring across the executive branch and automate security controls rather than periodically check for compliance.

Panych helped advanced Cal-Secure, a cybersecurity roadmap that established for executive agencies a common framework that emphasizes zero-trust architecture, continuous monitoring, identity management and stronger collaboration across state and local governments. He argued that cybersecurity should be embedded into government operations rather than treated as a standalone IT function, an approach reflected in California’s investments in enterprise security capabilities and statewide coordination.

“We now help uplift thousands of local and educational jurisdictions that partner with CDT’s Office of Information Security cyber defense and operations teams and the Cal-CSIC,” Panych wore in his LinkedIn post. “We pushed those operations to grow from concept with a handful of operators into hundreds strong reducing risk.”

Panych received national recognition for his work, earning the 2022 NASCIO Thomas M. Jarrett State Cybersecurity Leadership Award and a 2023 CyberScoop 50 Government Leadership Award.

Before becoming state CISO, he held cybersecurity leadership roles at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Employment Development Department and Franchise Tax Board, building a career in state government that began in 2003.

Panych said he’s joining an international technology company that “designs, builds, and deploys digital infrastructure for large enterprises and government agencies, specializing in AI, cybersecurity, cloud, and software development.”

“California is strong, solid, and safer thanks to us all. The leadership runs deep, from the administration to secretaries, directors, ISOs, and every team member. I always wanted to make everyone a risk-minded security practitioner. I think we did just that,” he wrote. “I am not leaving the fight. I am widening the front.”