Illinois CISO Adam Ford joins Zscaler, cyber firm’s new powerhouse

TLDR: Illinois CISO Adam Ford has left his role at the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology to join cyber firm Zscaler. Ford had been with the state of Illinois since 2000, starting as a network architect and engineer. During his time as CISO, Ford received the National Association of State Chief Information Officers’ Thomas M. Jarrett State Cybersecurity Leadership Award and was recognised for enhancing the state’s cybersecurity infrastructure. A replacement for the CISO position at the Illinois DoIT is currently being sought.

Adam Ford has announced that he is leaving his role as chief information security officer for the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology (DoIT) to join Zscaler. Zscaler is a cloud security firm situated in San Jose, California.

After working in a number of roles for the state of Illinois since 2000, Ford joined the DoIT in 2019 as the head of its information security division. Here he was responsible for managing cybersecurity efforts across the state and ensuring the overall safety of state systems and resources.

During his time at the DoIT, Ford gained recognition for strengthening the state’s cybersecurity infrastructure and implementing various initiatives to improve network and system access. He also focused on enhancing information sharing, joint training exercises and coordinated responses to cyber incidents across state government agencies. These efforts earned him the National Association of State Chief Information Officers’ Thomas M. Jarrett State Cybersecurity Leadership Award in 2023.

Before leaving the DoIT, Ford publicly thanked the Illinois administration for the support they provided to his cybersecurity initiatives, as well as the leadership of the technology department. He highlighted the dedication and hard work of his colleagues and the importance of their contribution to the successful implementation of cybersecurity measures across the state.

The CISO position at the Illinois DoIT is currently vacant and is open to applications until the 19th of January.