Greg Touhill ⁣on Cybersecurity Leadership and Saving ‌Lives

updated June‌ 13, ⁣2025
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Greg Touhill, director of Carnegie Mellon University’s CERT, has dedicated ⁢his‌ career to making the world⁤ safer through ⁣cybersecurity leadership. His journey includes military service, government roles, and contributions to the private ⁢sector.

Touhill’s career highlights ⁣include serving at major combatant commands and representing the U.S. in Kuwait⁣ as a senior defense official.He also led negotiations‍ for a new⁣ bilateral​ defense agreement with Kuwait. Later, at the Department of Homeland​ Security (DHS), he helped​ build what is⁢ now ​the⁤ Cybersecurity and infrastructure⁢ Security Agency (CISA).

During his time at DHS,Touhill addressed significant breaches,including ⁢the U.S. office‌ of Personnel Management (OPM) breach. he briefed President Obama on the state of ⁢cybersecurity and served​ as⁣ the cybersecurity advisor to ‍the ​federal ‌CIO council. ⁣He ⁣concluded his⁤ federal career as the first U.S. government chief‌ details security officer⁤ before transitioning to industry and ⁣academia, joining Carnegie Mellon’s Heinz College‌ in 2017.

Touhill‌ has been‍ involved in three startups, two of ‍which were⁣ acquired. He also served on advisory boards for Fortune 100 companies and chaired the‍ Information ‌Systems⁤ Audit and control ‍Association board.

Reflecting on his career,⁤ touhill emphasizes the importance of hands-on ⁢experience, from software ⁤development to system ⁤administration. He aims to​ inspire the next generation to​ improve upon today’s military and​ government information technology.

What ⁣‘Success’ Means

For Touhill, success is​ measured by‌ the impact he has ⁤made in saving lives. He​ recalls a critical project in ​Iraq where convoys faced attacks due to⁢ unreliable communications.

To address this, Touhill and his team developed the Radio over IP ‍network, ⁤or “Ripper Net.” This system, costing $11 ‌million, provided a 99% ​reliability rate⁤ and allowed ​convoys to communicate ⁣using any radio.Touhill⁤ credits this innovation with saving at least six lives.

Touhill said his greatest achievement was ​saving lives.‍ “In the Middle East and Iraq, convoys⁢ were‌ being⁢ attacked with improvised explosive ‍devices… As an inevitable ⁤result, our troops were at risk⁣ of not having reliable communications ⁢while​ under attack.”

Sage Advice

Drawing from his military experience, Touhill stresses the ​importance of discipline, physical fitness, and mental well-being ⁢for cybersecurity professionals. He notes that ⁢the ability to work well with‌ others ⁤is also essential in the⁢ interdisciplinary field of cybersecurity.

Touhill also believes in prioritizing meaningful work over⁤ financial gain. He took a pay cut to serve as the deputy assistant secretary⁢ of the Department ‌of ​homeland Security, ​a decision ⁢he says has been rewarding.

Touhill‍ identifies ‌the complexity of cyber systems ​and software as a major challenge. ​He also ⁤highlights the need to address privacy ​concerns related to artificial ​intelligence​ (AI).

Touhill said complexity “raises the cost of the attack ⁤surface,increases ⁢the attack surface,raises‍ the number of vulnerabilities and exploits human weaknesses.”

What’s next

Looking‌ ahead, Touhill plans to continue his work at CERT, focusing on ‍secure design, cybersecurity, software engineering, and AI⁣ to create a ‍safer ⁣and more trustworthy digital world.