John Godfrey announced as Kansas Chief Information Security Officer

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Governor Laura Kelly recently announced that John Godfrey is the new Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the State of Kansas. In his role, he will lead the Kansas Information Security Office (KISO) in developing and implementing information security strategies, including cybersecurity strategies.

Godfrey steps into the role following Jeff Maxon’s appointment to Chief Information Technology Officer (CITO) for the State of Kansas in October 2023.

Godfrey comes to the state after serving as the CISO-in-Residence and Founder of LionHeart Cybersecurity Advisors in Kansas City, Kansas. He also has experience working with several of the State’s Regents universities. He spent more than 10 years with the University of Kansas Medical Center, six of which were as CISO and Associate Vice Chancellor for Information Security. Additionally, Godfrey spent more than five years as a Senior Cybersecurity Engineer and Systems Administrator and Information Security Analyst at Kansas State University.

In 2021, Godfrey was a member of the Governor’s Cybersecurity Task Force where he chaired the Statewide Communication & Collaboration Subcommittee. The Task Force produced a final report to the Governor’s Office that included forty-one recommendations.

Godfrey holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology from American InterContinental University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Justice Studies and Information Networking and Telecommunications from Fort Hays State University. He has a Master of Science in Information Assurance from Capital Technology University and is currently working on a Doctor of Science in Cybersecurity at Capital Technology University. Additionally, he has multiple licenses and professional certifications, including Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Penetration Testing Specialist (CPTS), Security+ and Network+ certifications from CompTIA, and several National Security Agency (NSA)/Committee on National Security Systems (CNSS) certifications.

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