Otter names new state cybersecurity chief
Gov. Butch Otter today named Jeffery Weak, a veteran U.S. Air Force information technology and cybersecurity officer, to be Idaho’s first state director of information security. The new position, approved by state lawmakers this year, is part of an array of efforts to beef up the state’s cybersecurity, as directed by a task force led by Lt. Gov. Brad Little.
Weak, 44, is retiring as a lieutenant colonel after a 20-year military career; his most recent assignment was chief of the IT/Cyber Portfolio Management Branch at Air Force headquarters in the Pentagon. Past positions have included chief of information security for a strategic NATO base in Germany and for multi-national forces deployed in Iraq; commanding a communications support squadron in Virginia and flight operations at Yokota Air Base in Japan; working at the Defense Intelligence Agency as a programmer/analyst before and after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks; and managing communications security at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs.
A University of Idaho graduate in criminal justice who also holds a master’s degree in management from Troy State University in Alabama, Weak will start his new position Aug. 1 at an annual salary of $115,000.
“With his impressive experience and proven leadership abilities, Col. Weak brings tremendous assets to this new role,” Otter said in a statement. “I’m confident he will provide the cutting-edge knowledge and real-world judgment the state of Idaho needs to address the kind of technological threats facing us all – from cyberterrorist attacks to criminals using ‘ransomware’ hacks to extort our businesses and government entities.”
Little said, “It’s important to remember that this appointment only begins the process of hardening and then maintaining the security of our state government networks against threats that morph with emerging technologies. Col. Weak’s military-level skill set will help ensure we stay on the vanguard of this expanding field.”
Weak is relocating from Virginia to Boise to take on the job. “I am committed to making Gov. Otter’s vision on cybersecurity a reality,” he said. “Through education, proactive countermeasures and effective policies, I’ll strive to protect the confidentiality and integrity of Idaho’s information technology assets.”
