Torry Crass has taken on the role of Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the Public Sector at Tanium, he announced recently on LinkedIn. Crass brings extensive hands-on experience leading cybersecurity programs at the state and agency level. Prior to joining Tanium in April 2025, he served as the State Chief Risk Officer for North Carolina, where he oversaw enterprise risk management and information security initiatives across state agencies. He also worked nearly four years as the agency CISO for the N.C. State Board of Elections, where he was responsible for managing the security program and serving as a liaison for intergovernmental coordination on election security.
In addition to his public sector roles, Crass is an active contributor to the cybersecurity community. He co-chairs BSides Charlotte, a regional information security conference offering education and engagement opportunities for practitioners and students. He also serves as an adjunct instructor at The Citadel’s Department of Cyber and Computer Sciences, where he supports National Guard cyber boot camps and related training programs through the Department of Defense Cyber Institute.
His background includes cybersecurity advisory work at Woodstar Labs, a division of Associated Universities, Inc., where he served as a virtual CISO helping clients in critical infrastructure sectors develop and mature their cyber programs. Crass has also held security leadership roles in the private sector, including as CISO at LEO Cyber Security and Information Security Manager at SPX Corporation.
Crass’s career has spanned roles in both technical operations and strategic leadership. He has managed global infrastructure teams, led penetration testing and incident response efforts, and worked closely with executive stakeholders on risk mitigation and compliance strategies. He is known for his focus on aligning cybersecurity programs with recognized frameworks like the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to support long-term organizational resilience.