University of Central Florida recruits Ohio cyber chief as next CISO
Ohio Chief Information Security Officer Holly Drake has accepted a position as the CISO of the University of Florida.
The move, reported by Government Technology on Friday, will send Drake back to a setting she knew as chief privacy officer and director of cybersecurity governance at The Ohio State University.
Drake, who worked in the Ohio state government from 2022 until last Friday, was recognized for her public sector work last October. The National Association of State Chief Information Officers awarded her the homas M. Jarrett State Cybersecurity Leadership Award, an annual recognition given to those with outstanding performance in state government.
“She expanded agency coverage with dedicated information security managers, launched new services like penetration testing and tabletop exercises and deployed modern cybersecurity tools while streamlining outdated ones,” a NASCIO press release noted in October.
NASCIO credited Drake with creating a new governance, risk and compliance team, along with improving centralized incident response. The group pointed to her reputation for collaboration and “user-centered approach.” She also led “Coffee with the CISO” forums designed to open conversations about cybersecurity and build trust across agencies.
