Grant Schneider, currently the acting Federal chief information security officer, has been named Federal CISO on a permanent basis, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced on Thursday. As CISO, Schneider is tasked with implementing cybersecurity practices across the executive branch, as well as serving as a policy advisor for the Trump administration.
“Grant Schneider brings extensive cybersecurity experience well aligned to lead efforts in securing government systems from cyberattacks,” Margaret Weichert, OMB’s deputy director for management, said in a statement.
Schneider is the second person to hold the position. The previous Federal CISO, Gregory Touhill, stepped down in January 2017 just before President Trump’s inauguration. Prior to his current role, Schneider was Touhill’s deputy. Schneider is also the National Security Council’s (NSC) senior director for cybersecurity and was tapped last month to lead the NSC’s Vulnerabilities Equities Process board. Schneider will continue to serve in both of his NSC roles.
With more than 20 years of Federal government service, Schneider has served in a wide variety of roles. Before joining the CISO’s office, Schneider was a cybersecurity advisor to Tony Scott, Federal CIO Suzette Kent’s predecessor. When working with Scott, he helped create an E-Gov Cyber and National Security Unit at OMB.
