Chris DeRusha is the cybersecurity champion who set new standards and blazed new paths for digital security throughout the federal government. In his role as Federal Chief Information Security Officer, his work has been a blaze of innovation and protection, ensuring that our nation’s most critical systems remain secure and uncompromising in his quest for excellence on behalf of the American people.
His work has been instrumental in strengthening cybersecurity, protecting critical infrastructure, and improving the digital defenses of the federal government through progressively difficult and groundbreaking roles. As the federal government’s lead cybersecurity strategist, he was the liaison between the White House and the departments of Homeland Security and Defense, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and agencies’ CISOs for all federal cybersecurity activities.
He also chaired the Federal Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Council, the primary body for inter-agency CISO collaboration and communication where he led IT security policy development; strategic hiring and training of cybersecurity professionals; sharing of best practices; and promotion of shared services. Chris’s strategic approach to cybersecurity has set new benchmarks in the field, ensuring that the nation remains proactive and prepared to counter any threat.