NSW Electoral Commission CISO moving on

The NSW Electoral Commission (NSWEC) is seeking a chief information security officer (CISO) following the departure of Vishwanath Nair.

The role description for the position of director, information security explains that the successful applicant will “provide advice” as CISO to the state’s electoral commissioner.

As well as business-as-usual responsibilities, the CISO will be responsible for the NSWEC’s ongoing cyber uplift program.

That program kicked off in 2022, with the commission receiving $4.8 million out of the state’s Digital Restart Fund, following dire warnings by electoral commissioner John Schmidt in 2021 that the agency’s cyber security did not comply with government policy.

That work is still ongoing, with the position description emphasising that the new CISO should “ensure that the NSW Electoral Commission becomes compliant and maintain compliance with the NSW government cyber security policy.”

Reporting to the director information services, the CISO has a team of up to nine employees and contractors.

Nair left the position in March, having been with the commission since December 2019.

Posting about his decision on LinkedIn, Nair expressed “sincere gratitude to the wonderful executive team at the commission", noting that few [organisations] would “match up to the excellent working environment and freedom to operate at the commission.”

“But the biggest honour was to work with my team. Over the four years, I have been able to recruit and retain some of the best cyber talent in the market.”

A NSW Electoral Commission spokesperson told iTnews: “We thank Vish for his work with the NSWEC and wish him well in his next endeavours.

"Ken Yiu will act as director of information security as we progress recruitment for this role.”

Nair joined the NSWEC from Western Sydney Local Health District, where he was head of information security and risk.

He arrived in Australia in 2018 after spending nearly 11 years as head of IT continuity at the airline Emirates.