Gregory Touhill

Gregory J. Touhill is director of the SEI’s world-renowned CERT Division, where he leads a diverse group of researchers, software engineers, security analysts, and digital intelligence specialists working together to research security vulnerabilities in software products, contribute to long-term changes in networked systems, and develop cutting-edge information and training to improve the practice of cybersecurity.

Greg is a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, where he was an operational commander at the squadron, group, and wing levels. After his retirement from the Air Force, Greg was appointed as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where he led national programs to protect America’s critical infrastructure. Later, he was appointed by the president to serve as the first Chief Information Security Officer of the U.S. federal government. 

Prior to his appointment as the head of the CERT division, Greg successfully served in several leadership roles in industry, including as a board director who led two start-ups through growth to acquisition, on the advisory boards of three Fortune 100 companies, and as the president of a cybersecurity start-up. A highly decorated combat veteran, he is the recipient of numerous professional awards and recognitions including the General Michael Hayden Lifetime Achievement Award, the Baldrige Leadership Award in Cybersecurity, the ISC2 F. Lynn McNulty Tribute Award, the Fed100 and FedScoop 50 awards, and the Frank B. Rowlett Award. He is a member of the Air Force Cyberspace Operations and Support Hall of Fame and the Air Force Cyberspace and Air Traffic Control Association Hall of Honor.

Touhill is a graduate of the Pennsylvania State University, the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering, and the Air War College. He was a senior executive fellow at the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School. He maintains both the CISSP and CISM technical certifications as well as the National Association of Corporate Directors director certification. In addition to his adjunct faculty role at Carnegie Mellon University's Heinz College of Information Systems and Public Policy, Greg has held faculty appointments at several institutions including Washington University in St. Louis, Georgetown University, and the Deakin University (Australia) Centre for Cybersecurity Research and Innovation. 

A member of many organizational boards and committees and recipient of many awards, Touhill was recognized by Security Magazine as one of its Most Influential People in Security and by Federal Computer Week in the Federal 100. He is the co-author of the books Cybersecurity for Executives: A Practical Guide and Commercialization of Innovative Technologies.