Dale Chidester

DCIO, Cybersecurity and Operations

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)

As the Deputy Chief Information Officer (D/CIO) for Cybersecurity and Operations, Dale A. Chidester oversees the security and cyber posture of the enterprise IT across the Agency. He is also responsible for the mission and implementation of National Security
Memorandum-8, to include zero trust architecture.

Previously, Mr. Chidester served as the Deputy Director of ITE’s Technical Services Office (TSO). In this role, he enabled the provision of critical, reliable, and secure enterprise IT services for the Agency’s global mission.

Mr. Chidester joined the Agency as a contractor before converting to staff in 2007 as a Network Engineer. He spent almost a decade at the beginning of his career in the U.S. Army, providing telecommunications support across numerous assignments, and supporting the White House as well as the Department of State. Mr. Chidester served a three-year tour at the National Reconnaissance Office and returned to the Agency to hold leadership positions in both the DO and the DS&T. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Network/Security from Strayer University and has completed several courses in Big Data Analytics and Cybersecurity from George Mason University, which promotes his strong focus in telecommunications and cybersecurity.

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