The City of Austin has identified Shirley Erp as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). Ms. Erp will begin her new duties as the CISO on June 1, 2020.

Under the direction of Assistant City Manager Rey Arellano, the CISO is responsible for the Citywide information security program that covers safeguarding the City's information, data, and technology infrastructure, and for overseeing the information security governance committee. The CISO will also support cross-departmental issues and engage external stakeholders as it relates to the six Strategic Outcomes.

The City’s Information Security Office establishes, maintains and directs the City of Austin Information Security Program and coordinates the City's Information Security Risk Management efforts. The Office is managed by the Chief Information Security Officer and is supported by staff equipped with resources to execute the functions and services outlined by the program. The Office consists of four service areas: Administration, Security Audit, Security Management, and Security Operations.

“I’m very happy to have Shirley join our team. Her experience is a powerful asset to the work we do to protect our information security and risk management efforts,” said Assistant City Manager Arellano.

Ms. Erp is a seasoned information security professional with more than 20 years of experience leading large organizations. She has a strong track record of implementing best-in-class solutions to meet security compliance requirements, as well as building cybersecurity operations centers for real-time monitoring, threat response, and breach prevention. Ms. Erp is an effective communicator experienced at working cross-functionally to discover potential opportunities to improve security and collaborating with stakeholders on effective security strategies. She has advanced skills in leadership, budgeting, critical thinking, and technology with a deep understanding of business and customer needs necessary for maintaining a critical balance.

“I am excited about moving the City of Austin information security program to the next level to further mature the system by collaborating citywide and engaging departmental participation to leverage resources, increase knowledge, and expand our incident response capabilities,” shared Ms. Erp.

Ms. Erp obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from the University of Central Oklahoma and her Master of Science in Technology Management from Texas A & M University-Commerce.