Delaware names new chief security officer
Delaware’s technology department on Tuesday announced that it’s named Aashish Patel, who’s been serving as the state’s interim chief security officer, to serve in the position long term.
As chief security officer, Patel is the state’s top cybersecurity official. According to the state, he’s tasked with increasing awareness about information security and disaster preparedness, conducting risk assessments, developing security policy and designing the state’s disaster recovery program.
In a press release, Delaware Chief Information Officer Greg Lane said Patel has “the vision, leadership, and technical depth that are essential to securing Delaware’s digital future.”
Before becoming the state’s interim security chief three months ago, Patel spent four years as director of the enterprise security operations division at the Delaware Department of Technology and Information. Before joining the state he held cybersecurity roles at the insurance software firms Sapiens and Adaptik. He also spent five years at IBM as a datacenter operations manager, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Patel replaces Solomon Adote, who announced his departure last March after six years with the technology bureau. During Adote’s tenure, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the state launched ID.delaware.gov, a website for state employees to remotely access Delaware applications.
Some of the state’s recent IT projects have included a text-to-911 service, digital driver’s licenses and testing the use of blockchain for record-keeping. The state is also developing a new services portal for residents.
