Keith Brautigam

Keith Brautigam is a skilled IT and cybersecurity professional with significant identity and access management expertise. Throughout his career, he has advanced through various roles, eventually reaching leadership positions such as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Interim Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Penn State University. His efforts have always been aimed at improving security, streamlining IT systems, and ensuring compliance across various organizations. Keith was born in San Diego, California, and moved to the East Bay Area of San Francisco at age two. Friends who owned Amiga and Atari computers sparked his early interest in technology. Though initially focused on gaming, it soon became apparent that he was more interested in enhancing his computer’s performance to improve his gaming experience. Later, his family relocated to Iowa City, Iowa, during high school, where he pursued a Communication and Media Studies degree at the University of Iowa. This also allowed him to study abroad in Mérida, Venezuela. After completing his degree, Keith faced a challenging job market, particularly following the burst of the eCommerce bubble in the 1990s. He relocated to Research Triangle, North Carolina, and worked as a supervisor at a Borders bookstore. While this job wasn’t in his intended field, it allowed him to gain valuable customer service and leadership skills. Eventually, he returned to Iowa City, where he was offered an IT role at a medical research center. This marked the beginning of his career in IT, where he focused on system administration, compliance, and data security, particularly in the context of HIPAA regulations. Keith later transitioned to higher education, where he helped modernize internal systems and incorporate new technologies. His work with Agile SCRUM software development practices led to his recruitment by the University of Iowa’s central IT department. In 2014, he moved to Penn State University, where he rose through the ranks, becoming CISO and eventually Interim CIO.