Ray Yepes

Ray Yepes is an experienced cybersecurity
practitioner with strong business acumen, technical
knowledge and proven leadership skills in
information security and IT privacy, risk and
compliance. Before joining the Governor’s Office of
Information Technology in April 2022, Ray served as
the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the
Texas Department of Family and Protective Services
in the Lone Star State. Prior to that work, Yepes
co-founded and was the director of a full-service
cybersecurity company whose clients included
Fortune 500, 200, 100 and 50 companies. He has also
served as the CISO for a Fortune 200 company.
A strategic thinker, Ray has focused on building
strong business relationships while delivering customer-centric solutions throughout his
career. He believes that while cybersecurity tools are indispensable for any organization,
embedding analytics into manual processes is a must in order to close security gaps.
Ray holds a Master of Science in criminal justice and a Bachelor of Science in computer
science from Sam Houston State University, as well as associate of science and associate of
arts degrees from North Harris Montgomery Community College. He also holds a myriad of
certifications including InfoSec’s Evaluation Methodology (IEM) and Assessment Methodology
(IAM), EnCase Certified Examiner (EnCE) and Certified Information Systems Security
Professional (CISSP), among others.
Ray enjoys volunteering in his spare time and has co-founded various nonprofit groups
including environmental and animal rescue organizations. Ray sees education as a key
element for teaching people to care for our planet. He is a nature lover and enjoys hiking
regularly.