Boston has appointed its first chief information security officer (CISO) to lead its fight to secure the data of its city operations and its citizens, and to modernise its technology architecture alongside.
Gregory McCarthy, with the city since 2010, will lead its cybersecurity team within its department of innovation and technology. His role covers also technology, partnerships, and training.
Mayor Martin J. Walsh said the appointment marks a “commitment to strengthening efforts to protect the city of Boston’s technology platforms and data” from cyber threats. McCarthy commented: “Cybersecurity is something we clearly have to take seriously, and there are always new challenges ahead; a humbling reminder that our work in this field is never done. It is an honor to be in this position for the City of Boston, and to have the opportunity to lead the City into a new chapter of maturity in how we protect our systems, data, and constituents.”
Since joining the City of Boston’s Cybersecurity Team in 2010, McCarthy has managed a number of information security solutions within the city. He helped develop its first cybersecurity awareness program for employees.
Before 2010, McCarthy spent five years as a principal research technician at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections. McCarthy holds an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice and a graduate degree in Information Assurance, both from Northeastern University. He has also earned a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) certification from ISACA, graduate certification in Project Management from Boston University, and a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification from the Project Management Institute.
The appointment is the latest in a flurry of US smart-city hires and strategy updates. In February, the city of Philadelphia released its SmartCityPHL roadmap, outlining key strategies aimed to spur innovation and collaboration in the community related to smart city projects. The city’s mayor has signed an executive order in support of the initiative.
In January, Dallas appointed its first chief innovation officer (CINO) to lead its newly created ‘office of innovation’ and drive “operational and technological improvements” in the city. The appointment of former Los Angeles and Philadelphia city exec Laila Alequresh as Dallas CINO comes on the heels of another senior appointment within the city’s digital team, with Hugh Miller joining last month as chief information officer (CIO) from the same role within the City of San Antonio. Miller replaced William Finch as Dallas CIO.
Last summer, former New York City chief technology officer Miguel Gamiño joined MasterCard as its executive vice president for global cities, in charge of the financial services company’s smart-city solutions and partnerships. In another public-private sector job-swap, New Jersey chief technology officer Dave Weinstein, appointed by former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie in mid-2016, has joined New York-based cyber-security firm Claroty as vice president of threat research.
Weinstein previously served as New Jersey cyber-security advisor, where he established the nation’s first state-level information sharing and analysis organisation (ISAO), and US cyber command, where he planned cyber operations in close coordination with inter-agency and international partners.
