CIA's CIO Speaks Out

My former colleague Tom Wailgum with CIO Magazine scored the first media interview with the CIA's chief information officer, Al Tarasiuk. That's saying something because Tarasiuk has been CIO for nearly three years now. The result is what looks like will be an in-depth series on how Tarasiuk is using information technology to transform the agency.

The article is the first of four. In this installment, we learn that "one of Tarasiuk's most critical duties has been, in fact, to infuse more corporate-like thinking into the CIA's IT operations and staff. 'My boss,' Tarasiuk says of CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden, 'asked me to establish "corporate everything" for ITâ€"to the extent possible.'" (We also learn that Tarasiuk is "into muscle cars and has a 1971 Chevelle.")

Tarasiuk is working to transform IT into a more strategic partner in the CIA ("to be seen an as enabler of mission and not just a technology shop that's delivering a desktop," he says) and is trying to improve information sharing as required by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence ("I'm trying to eliminate the technology iron walls that have existed in the past").

The next three installments in the series will cover how 9/11 moved IT to center stage, how Tarasiuk balances making data visible and keeping secrets, and how the CIA uses new applications and Web 2.0 technologies.