Former Federal Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Deputy National Cyber Director Chris DeRusha has joined Google Cloud as the company’s director of global public sector compliance, Google Cloud said today.
DeRusha stepped down from both senior Federal cybersecurity leadership posts last month. He served as Federal CISO from the first days of the Biden administration and was named Deputy National Cyber Director later in 2021.
DeRusha played a major role in advancing many of the White House’s cybersecurity priorities, including the creation and implementation of the first Federal zero trust strategy, and overseeing the Federal agency responsibilities outlined in President Biden’s 2021 cybersecurity executive order.
He also chaired the Federal Acquisition Security Council and was a member of the Technology Modernization Fund Board.
“As the new Global Public Sector Compliance lead, Chris will focus on the expansion of Google Cloud’s growing suite of innovative products and services – across AI, cloud computing, security – to the public sector, both domestically and internationally,” the company said today.
At his new job, DeRusha will report to Jeanette Manfra, who is global director of security and compliance at Google Cloud. Manfra was assistant director for cybersecurity at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) before joining Google Cloud in 2020.
“As adoption of cloud solutions are expanding to meet new challenges – from rapid data analysis and information sharing to incorporation of AI – Chris’ unparalleled experience designing and implementing cutting-edge security and critical infrastructure programs in both the private and public sectors will be invaluable to our Google Cloud team and our global public sector customers,” Manfra said in a statement today.
“Additionally, Chris’ roles as the U.S. CISO and Deputy National Cyber Director give him a unique vantage point into national security challenges facing governments and specific industry sectors, and we are thrilled he will bring those perspectives to our work across Google Cloud,” she said.
“Google’s commitment to providing cutting-edge, secure, and reliable cloud solutions is a great opportunity for government agencies to use new technologies to serve their constituents and communities more effectively,” DeRusha said in a LinkedIn post today.
“Building and protecting robust technology infrastructure is the incredible next chapter for global government and private sector organizations and I’m honored to work alongside my colleagues at Google Cloud to make that secure future a reality,” he said.
Prior to serving in the Biden administration, DeRusha worked as CISO for the state of Michigan and spent more than five years in cybersecurity positions at the Department of Homeland Security from 2009-2014. He also spent two years as a senior cyber advisor for the White House from 2015-2017.
