Michael Watson has been sworn in as Chief Information Officer for the Commonwealth of Virginia, taking on the state’s top technology leadership role after nearly two decades with the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA).
“I have spent much of my career working in government technology, and that experience has shaped how I see this role. Technology is not the mission on its own. It is what helps agencies carry out their missions and how we can make the lives of our citizens better. It helps people get services. It helps employees be more productive in their jobs. It helps leaders make better decisions. It helps protect the systems and data that people trust us to manage,” Watson said in a post announcing his new role.
Watson brings more than 20 years of experience in cybersecurity, information technology, risk management, and government operations. He has spent the last 18 years at VITA, most recently serving as Chief Information Security Officer and Deputy Chief Information Officer, where he helped shape Virginia’s cybersecurity and technology strategy.
In that role, Watson led the deployment of a Zero Trust security framework across the organization, overseeing efforts to modernize network security, implement continuous verification protocols, and strengthen threat detection capabilities. He also spearheaded the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning tools into Virginia’s cybersecurity operations, improving real-time threat analysis and incident response capabilities.
His tenure included managing more than $400 million in technology investments, expanding the state’s cybersecurity workforce, and guiding the migration of business systems into enterprise cloud environments including Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure. Watson also regularly briefed senior government leaders on cybersecurity risks, technology strategy, and emerging threats.
Watson’s career at VITA spans several leadership positions. As Senior Manager of IT Risk Management, he oversaw the creation and implementation of a statewide risk management program and coordinated security efforts across agencies, including incident response, continuity of operations, and security architecture. Earlier, as Director of Security Incident Management, he established Virginia’s security incident management program and led responses to more than 400 cybersecurity incidents annually while building statewide vulnerability assessment and threat monitoring capabilities.
Before joining VITA, Watson served as an Information Security Specialist with the Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts, where he led penetration testing and vulnerability assessment efforts and helped manage statewide security reviews.
His private-sector and higher education experience includes serving as a Senior Systems Programmer at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, where he managed enterprise technology systems supporting more than 10,000 users and helped implement security initiatives such as encrypted email, two-factor authentication, and public key infrastructure. Earlier in his career, he held technology leadership roles at Ajax Electric Company, where he helped establish the company’s initial cybersecurity and IT programs.
Watson holds a Master of Science in Engineering in Telecommunications with a focus on Security and Management from the University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a networking concentration from James Madison University.
