Gov Christie Appoints First-Ever New Jersey Chief Tech Officer

Christie elects David Weinstein as the first New Jersey Chief Tech Officer 

Governor Chris Christie recently created the position of Chief Technology Officer (CTO) as a cabinet-level position. David Weinstein, the state’s current cyber security director, will serve as the first-ever New Jersey Chief Tech Officer.

“New Jersey’s public employees rely on information technology (IT) systems to serve our citizens with vital functions of government.  These duties demand – and the taxpayer’s deserve – a user experience that enables greater productivity and long-term efficiencies while protecting private information to the greatest extent possible,” said Governor Christie. “Dave is an individual, who truly understands how to manage cyber risk across a large enterprise, and as the head of the Office of Information Technology, he will work closely with the Director of Homeland Security and Preparedness (OHSP) to ensure that our efforts to streamline, modernize, and innovate our technology infrastructure is consistent with my cybersecurity and privacy priorities.”

…Christie also announced that his Administration will invest $10 million this fiscal year in safeguarding systems against the most sophisticated cyber threats…

The role of the New Jersey Chief Tech Officer

In 2015, Gov. Christie established the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell, which serves as the state’s central hub for cybersecurity information sharing, threat analysis, and incident reporting. The goal of the central agency is to reduce New Jersey’s cyber risk and respond to emergent incidents through collaborations between local, state, federal, public, and private sector institutions.

In his new position, Weinstein will oversee the New Jersey Office of Information Technology (OIT) and be responsible for “developing and implementing strategic policies, information security standards and requirements for all State departments and agencies,” according to Gov. Christie. He will report directly to the Governor and will serve as a cabinet member.

Gov. Christie also announced that his Administration will invest $10 million this fiscal year in safeguarding systems against the most sophisticated cyber threats, including performing comprehensive audits of the State’s infrastructure and assessing its network for potential compromises. Over the course of the next year, assessments will be completed for all State departments.

Significance of the New Jersey Chief Tech Officer appointment

The appointment highlights that both the public and private sectors must work to balance the opportunities created by technological advancements with the associated risks. “All of us see a great potential in the burgeoning expansion of technology, but we see the perils as well,” Christie stated at a press conference announcing the position. “Those perils are real to the people of our state, just as well as the opportunities are. We have someone who understands that.”

While a cabinet-level position such as this signifies an important commitment to cyber security and data protection, the true test lies in whether appropriate funding and other resources are dedicated to advance those efforts. Time will tell whether this move signifies the commitment necessary to address the challenges that confront us.

Do you have any feedback, thoughts, reactions or comments concerning this topic? Feel free to leave a comment below for Fernando M. Pinguelo and follow the twitter accounts @CyberPinguelo and @eWHW_Blog for timely comments on related issues. If you have any questions about this post, please contact me or the Scarinci Hollenbeck attorney with whom you work. To learn more about our data privacy and cyber security practice, visit our Cyber Security & Data Protection page.