The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is bringing on Bob Lord – who has served as the first chief security officer for the Democratic National Committee since 2018 – as a senior technical advisor to the agency, CISA announced April 25.
Lord will work within CISA’s cybersecurity division. Lord brings his expertise to the Federal government’s cyber agency after building a reputation as a private industry cybersecurity expert.
“[Lord]’s decades of experience and unparalleled expertise will be a great asset as we further strengthen our community partnerships, expand the Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC), and continue our work as the nation’s cyber defense agency to make us more resilient,” CISA Director Jen Easterly said in the release.
“Bob and I share both a passion for helping Americans stay safe online and a dedication to raising the cybersecurity baseline across the nation,” she added. “I’m super excited for the creativity he’ll bring to the team.”
Lord’s expertise in the private sector could be helpful to CISA’s JCDC effort, as he has decades of experience as a network defender, dating back to helping establish Andersen Consulting’s first internet connection in 1989. Since then, he’s managed corporate electronic security for Netscape Communications, done network security for AOL/Time Warner and the cybersecurity firm Red Hat, served as director of information security for Twitter, and worked as a chief information security officer for Yahoo.
“As we face a pivotal moment in time for cybersecurity, I’m thrilled to contribute my experience to support CISA’s efforts to reduce risk to critical infrastructure, strengthen its collaboration with industry and make basic cyber practices accessible to all Americans,” Lord said. “I look forward to joining Team CISA and helping to further the agency’s dynamic and critical mission.”
