Speaker Series - Michael Watson

Hosted by Milos Manic, Ph.D.
Date: February 20, 2026
Location: VCU College of Engineering East Hall, Room E1232

Speaker:
Michael Watson
Chief Information Security Officer
Commonwealth of Virginia
Virginia Information Technologies Agency

Mike Watson is an award winning cybersecurity and AI leader focused on building systems that are secure, trustworthy, and resilient. He is the longest-serving state CISO in the United States, with contributions that sit at the intersection of cyber defense, public-sector technology, and cyber-related artificial intelligence research.

He brings experience spanning cybersecurity, technology strategy, and governance, with a track record of translating complex technical concepts into practical, actionable strategies. In addition to his professional work, he is currently part of a research team exploring behavior based anomaly detection using artificial intelligence. Mike is especially interested in how advanced AI techniques can be leveraged in cybersecurity to strengthen critical infrastructure, improve decision-making, and enhance public trust in technology.