Georgia announces new statewide CISO

The Georgia Technology Authority on Monday announced that Steve Hodges, a longtime state employee, will serve as the state’s new chief information security officer.

Hodges has worked for the Georgia Department of Revenue for 21 years, holding roles including server platform manager, network support and security manager, IT operations manager and database support manager. He was most recently the disclosure officer at the revenue agency, managing IT service delivery.

“I am looking forward to the opportunity to serve the citizens of the State of Georgia in this new role,” Hodges said in a press release.

Prior to his position with the revenue department, Hodges worked for the Georgia Department of Administrative Services as an enterprise network engineer. His career has also included information security roles in the private sector — early in his career, he helped develop one of the first commercially available disk encryption and access control systems for IBM-compatible computers, state officials said.

“Steve understands state systems and the challenges in protecting them,” said Shawnzia Thomas, state CIO and executive director of the Georgia Technology Authority. “Information security is our top priority, and I am confident that Steve’s insight and leadership will benefit the state.”

The Georgia Technology Authority’s cybersecurity operations had since last October been led by deputy CISO Mike Davis, who stepped up in an interim role following the departure of David Allen, who’s now with the IT services provider Ensono.

In the press release, Thomas thanked Davis for his “willingness to take on added responsibilities and lead the team during the transition.”