Brian Engle Named Retail Cyber Intelligence Sharing Center Exec Director
The Retail Cyber Intelligence Sharing Center (R-CISC) has hired Brian Engle as its executive director, effective Feb. 9. Engle will report directly to the R-CISC board of directors and oversee management of the organization's day-to-day affairs.
Engle's most recent position was as State of Texas chief information security officer, in which capacity he advised the executive leadership of almost 200 independent state agencies and higher-education organizations on protecting information resources for the state. Engle was a policymaking official responsible for state-wide cybersecurity strategies, in addition to the oversight of the delivery of the enterprise security program, operations and services.
In May 2014, the R-CISC was formed by members of the Arlington, Va.-based Retail Industry Leaders Association as a cybersecurity resource for the retail industry. The center's Retail Information Sharing and Analysis Center (ISAC) facilitates the sharing of information among retailers, law enforcement and other relevant stakeholders, with the aim of preventing data breaches, protecting consumers and saving millions of dollars.
"Retailers have shown true commitment towards collaboration and the protection of customers through the establishment of R-CISC as the cybersecurity resource for the retail industry," said Jim Cameli, R-CISC chair and CISO at Deerfield, Ill.-based Walgreens. "The board of directors is confident Brian's in-depth knowledge and experience in cybersecurity positions him well to lead the R-CISC." According to Cameli, the board will work with Engle "to build upon the current R-CISC structure and its continued evolution as a critical tool for retailers in the fight against cybercriminals."
As executive director, Engle will be the central point of coordination and communication for the Retail ISAC, which shares real-time threat information, threat indicators, indicators of compromise, vulnerability/threat activity, and other actionable intelligence to minimize the risk of cyberattacks on retailers and their customers. He will also guide the education and training segments of the center and a research arm via partnerships with academic institutions and other organizations to provide the industry with insight on evolving technologies and potential new threats. Additionally Engle will actively engage private-sector stakeholders and government agencies to streamline information sharing and bolster the retail industry's capability and capacity to mitigate cyberattack risks.
"The truth is, no industry, institution or government agency is immune from attack, and the retail industry faces unique challenges in protecting its systems and customer information from data breaches, point-of-sale attacks and malware," noted Engle, adding that he'll "build partnerships and help facilitate the secure sharing of vetted, actionable and timely cyberthreat information through this critical tool."