Garfield “Gary” Jones stepped down as the associate chief of strategic technology at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) – where he led the agency’s post-quantum cryptography (PQC) initiative – to join QuSecure as senior vice president of research and technology strategy.
QuSecure, a California-based company focused on quantum-safe security, announced Jones’s appointment on Wednesday. In his new role, Jones will guide the company’s technology strategy to align with federal mission and security requirements and lead planning for cryptographic management.
“Garfield’s deep expertise and proven track record are critical to our growth plans,” Rebecca Krauthamer, CEO of QuSecure, said in a press release. “His experience in working with government agencies as they shift to post-quantum cryptography is invaluable.”
“I am thrilled to welcome Garfield to QuSecure and look forward to working together as we continue to develop first-mover solutions that enable organizations to quickly and seamlessly remediate cryptographic risk and enhance zero-trust security,” Krauthamer said.
At CISA, Jones worked with the Office of Management and Budget, Office of the National Cyber Director, and other federal agencies to carry out tasks related to cybersecurity executive orders issued by President Joe Biden in January and by President Donald Trump in June.
For example, those executive orders ordered CISA to develop a list of product categories that support PQC. Jones shared details on the coming list in August, which he said the agency is on track to deliver in December.
“This product list is basically going to have PQC-enabled products on it. If your product is not PQC-enabled, you probably won’t be able to do business with the government as we move forward,” Jones warned at the time.
Prior to overseeing CISA’s PQC efforts, Jones served as the deputy program manager for the agency’s Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) Program.
Before joining CISA, he was a systems engineer for agencies including the Office of Naval Intelligence, the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. He retired from the Army Reserves in 2018 after serving as an information systems warrant officer for 16 years of active duty and nine years as a reservist.
“With the onset of quantum computing and evolving threats, organizations need to start preparing for post-quantum cryptography, yet conventional cryptographic algorithms are not enough,” Jones said in the press release in announcing his move.
“As the pioneer in cryptographic agility, QuSecure is providing organizations with the most advanced protection so that they can see their vulnerabilities and protect against threats,” he added. “I am excited to join the team and look forward to expanding our footprint as we help organizations maintain cryptographic hygiene at scale.”