Adam Ford
Chief Information Security Officer
State of Illinois
Adam Ford has served as Chief Information Security Officer for the State of Illinois since 2019 and has responsibility for cybersecurity for agencies, boards and commissions under the Governor. During his tenure the State of Illinois has modernized and grown its security practice to protect systems and data that drive critical services to Illinois residents.
In addition to serving State Agencies, Adam oversees State and Local security partnership and collaboration efforts including operation of the Illinois Election Cyber Navigator program in coordination with the Illinois State Board of Elections and the Illinois State Police.
Adam joined the Office of the CISO as Security Engineering Manager in 2017 and also served as Deputy CISO prior to his current role. Before coming to security, he spent more than 15 years in network engineering and architecture roles with the Illinois Department of Innovation and Technology and the Illinois State Police.
Adam serves as chair of the Illinois Homeland Security Advisory Council’s Cybersecurity subcommittee, as chair of the Illinois SLCGP grant task force. He is also a member of the advisory board for the Illinois State University Center for Cybersecurity Research and Education, the Lincoln Land Community College Computer Science Advisory committee and the Illinois Cybersecurity Commission.
He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Illinois College and a Master of Science in Cybersecurity and Information Assurance from Western Governors University.