Ryan Murray
Chief Information Security Officer
State of Arizona
Ryan Murray is the Deputy Director and Chief Information Security Officer for the State of Arizona Department of Homeland Security. He has nearly 20 years experience in IT and Information Security, and he is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) and holds a Bachelors in Cyber Security and Information Assurance from Western Governors University.
Learn more about the Phoenix CISO community here.
Give us a brief overview of the path that led to your current role.
I've always been interested in and involved in technology, even from a young age, and have slowly shifted my focus from solving technology problems to trying to solve the larger puzzle that brings technology and security together.
I joined the Arizona Department of Homeland Security in July 2021 and previously served as the Chief Information Security Officer for the Arizona Department of Revenue for three and a half years. Prior to joining the State in 2018, I worked for several public sector organizations throughout Arizona including in Maricopa County and the Crane School District.
With disruption being a key theme of the past few years, where do you see your role as a CISO going in the next 1-2 years?
Security will continue to be built into all aspects of business enablement/empowerment and play a larger role outside of the scope of IT. As the protection of critical infrastructure, cyber risk management and resiliency of key resources continues to increase in importance, the CISO role will continue to evolve.
What advice would you give to someone just starting out in the role as a CDAO?
Work with the business leaders. Understand that, ultimately, cybersecurity is about business risk management and providing creative ways to mitigate that risk. The CISO should never own the risk of a cyber attack, but should be directly integrated with business leadership to ensure they understand what threats, vulnerabilities and potential impacts exist, as well as current and planned protections to address them. Provide business leaders with information to make informed choices.
Tell us 3 fun facts about yourself.
- I'm a licensed falconer in the State of Arizona.
- I used to play tenor sax in a jazz band.
- I was born and raised in Arizona.
What is the value of participating in a professional community through Evanta?
It’s the continued relationship building, breaking down silos in the cyber and IT community, and bringing together peers and thought leaders.
Evanta Governing Body members share their insights and leadership perspectives to shape the agendas and topics that address the top priorities impacting business leaders today.
by CISOs, for CISOs
Join the conversation with peers in your local CISO community.