Originally Published by Wells Fargo.
Wells Fargo & Company Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Rich Baich will be sworn in as an appointee to the National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) in Washington, D.C. The ceremony is to take place at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. The President announced his intent to appoint Baich to the role in September.
NIAC is a council of senior executives from industry and state and local government who own and operate critical infrastructure essential to modern life. At the President’s request, NIAC members volunteer their time to examine physical and cyber risks to our nation’s infrastructure and recommend solutions that reduce risks and improve security and resilience nationwide.
“It is an honor to be able to serve my country as a member of this council,” said Baich. “I look forward to discussing critical infrastructure protection issues in this important forum.”
Helping to influence national cybersecurity policy is not a new role for Baich. In July, he completed a two-year term as chair of the Financial Services Sector Coordinating Council (FSSCC), where he worked to strengthen relationships between industry and government partners.
“Actions by nation states, cybercriminals, and hacktivists are all pervasive threats to both the government and private industry,” said Baich. “Collaboration amongst public-private organizations is critical to identifying and mitigating these threats to keep our country’s infrastructure safe.”
Baich has more than 20 years of cybersecurity experience from roles in the military and the private sector. As Wells Fargo’s chief information security officer, he oversees information security strategy and governance, identity and access management, security engineering, line-of-business engagement, and cyber defense and monitoring. Previously, Baich held roles as Naval Information Warfare Officer for the National Security Agency, senior director for professional services at Network Associates (now McAfee), and special assistant to the deputy director for the National Infrastructure Protection Center at the Federal Bureau of Investigation during the critical period after September 11. Baich is a veteran who retired after 20 years of military service where he served in multiple security leadership roles.
