---
title: "#191: Securing the Public Cloud: How Seattle & LA County DCFS Are Transforming Cybersecurity"
description: Seattle & LA County DCFS CISOs discuss transforming cloud security, protecting critical infrastructure, and democratizing security, alongside Wiz's cloud visibility innovations.
image: https://techtables.com/hubfs/Screenshot%202025-06-19%20at%201.25.56%20PM.png
---

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 January 28, 2025

# #191: Securing the Public Cloud: How Seattle & LA County DCFS Are Transforming Cybersecurity

![Picture of Joe Toste](https://app.hubspot.com/settings/avatar/d79e02d2f67ca9987e895bb88cf1c034)    Joe Toste  ·   2 minute read

<https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtoste/> <https://twitter.com/thejoetoste> <https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-public-sector-show-by-techtables/id1661752549> <https://open.spotify.com/show/0bFQBsDwKJkdNk2qENkhNL> <https://www.youtube.com/@techtables> [mailto:email@email.com](mailto:email@email.com)

 

 

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**Listen now: [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@techtables) x [Apple](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-public-sector-show-by-techtables/id1661752549) x [Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/0bFQBsDwKJkdNk2qENkhNL?si=387c7ae946694939)**

---

 

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### **Featuring:**

- **[Greg Smith](https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-smith-3b28018/)**, Chief Information Security Officer and Director of Security & Infrastructure, City of Seattle IT
- **[Allen Ohanian](https://www.linkedin.com/in/csc365allen/)**, Chief Information Security Officer, Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services
- **[Brent Byrnes](https://www.linkedin.com/in/brentbyrnes/),** Account Executive SLED, Wiz

### **What You’ll Learn:**

- How Seattle's risk-based approach is transforming traditional government cybersecurity
- LA County DCFS's strategy for securing the nation's largest welfare agency's sensitive data in the cloud
- Why emerging IoT devices and cloud assets are creating new visibility challenges for government infrastructure
- The role of cloud visibility and democratized security in modern government environments
- Real-world lessons from Seattle's cross-agency incident response and recovery strategies

### **Timestamps**

- ([03:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NTP-SrQ0FA&t=194s)) Seattle's Evolution to Risk-Based Security
- ([04:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NTP-SrQ0FA&t=292s)) Securing LA County DCFS's Cloud Environment
- ([07:38](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NTP-SrQ0FA&t=458s)) Cloud Visibility in Government
- ([09:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NTP-SrQ0FA&t=562s)) Asset Management Challenges in Modern Infrastructure
- ([12:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NTP-SrQ0FA&t=765s)) Cross-Agency Incident Response: Seattle Library Case Study
- ([16:33](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NTP-SrQ0FA&t=993s)) Crisis Communication Strategies
- ([22:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NTP-SrQ0FA&t=1338s)) AI Implementation and Security Threats
- ([27:42](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NTP-SrQ0FA&t=1662s)) Managing Modern Security Vendors
- ([31:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NTP-SrQ0FA&t=1875s)) Future of Government Cloud Security

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#### **RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES - FROM THE 2024 PHOENIX LIVE PODCAST TOUR**

**→ [#179: Richard McHattie, Chris Chirgwin, Mike Hojnicki, Don Ingle - Transforming the Resident Experience: Insights from Top County CIOs](https://techtables.com/podcast/179/richard-mchattie-chris-chirgwin-mike-hojnicki-don-ingle)**

**→ ****[#180: J.R. Sloan, Ryan Murray & Doug Lange – Arizona State CIO, CISO & Former CSO Talk AI](https://techtables.com/podcast/180/j.r.-sloan-ryan-murray-doug-lange)**

**→ **[**#181: Dr. Bianca Lochner, Feroz Merchhiya, Dr. Muriel Reid, & Ken Williams – Smart Cities & Digital Innovation – Transforming Cities with AI & 5G**](https://techtables.com/podcast/181/dr.-bianca-lochner-feroz-merchhiya-dr.-muriel-reid-ken-williams)

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