Acting State Chief Information Security Officer | Office of Security Management

​​​​​​​​​ ​ 

​​James Saunders

​

James Saunders is the ​​Acting ​State Chief Security Information Officer (SCISO) for the State of Maryland. He leads the Office of Security Management within the Maryland Department of Information Technology (DoIT), securing state IT systems by pursuing strong state partnerships and implementing cutting-edge cybersecurity technologies, programs, and policies.

Saunders will serve as Acting SCISO before being confirmed as the SCISO by the Maryland State Senate and officially appointed by the Governor.​

Saunders has over 15 years of experience across the federal government and private industry. Before joining DoIT, James served as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Deputy Chief Information Officer for the U.S Office of Personnel Management (OPM), where he led the rollout of zero-trust programs, the agency's secure cloud migration, and culture change throughout the agency. Before joining OPM, James was the CISO for the U.S Small Business Administration (SBA), where he led the agency’s transition to secure remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic and where he helped support the development of secure systems that lent out nearly $700 billion worth of funds to the small business community across the nation.

"The Office of Security Management is full of dedicated professionals working tirelessly to protect our state’s digital infrastructure and data. I firmly believe strong, intentional partnerships between our office and leaders across the State will help us deliver secure, cost-effective, responsive, and robust services that Marylanders deserve."​