Andy Ritter

Andy Ritter serves as the Chief Information Security Officer for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, leading statewide initiatives to strengthen cyber resilience, reduce enterprise risk, and advance a unified, modern security posture across all agencies.

Career path

GovTech reported that Pennsylvania named Ritter its permanent CISO as part of a wave of IT leadership appointments the state announced in early February 2026. Ritter was no stranger to the position, having served as interim CISO since the previous October, and before that appointment he had worked as Pennsylvania's deputy CISO dating back to January 2024.

The Commonwealth's own leadership page fills in more of that record: before assuming his current role, Ritter served as Deputy CISO for the Commonwealth, where he led the implementation of the statewide cybersecurity strategic vision, partnered with agency executives to mature security programs, and strengthened coordination across the enterprise. With more than 30 years of experience in cybersecurity and information technology, the page describes him as bringing a strategic and business-aligned approach to protecting the Commonwealth's digital assets.

Scope of the role

Throughout his career, Ritter has led large-scale cyber defense programs across public and private sectors, developed and matured security operations centers, implemented enterprise risk management frameworks, and advanced identity and access governance. He has also advised executive leadership on regulatory compliance, risk management, and security investment strategies, directed investigations into cyber incidents, and worked to build cybersecurity awareness across stakeholder groups.

GovTech's coverage places the appointment inside a broader set of promotions from acting to permanent titles: the state also made Jim Sipe its permanent executive deputy CIO after he held that position on an interim basis. The same wave of promotions made Sarah Kinter the permanent chief of staff to the CIO and Sara Hall the executive director of the Commonwealth Office of Digital Experience.

Neither source reviewed lists Ritter's employers or roles before he joined Commonwealth government service, and neither states where he earned any degrees or professional certifications.