Maine CISO Nathan Willigar Joins Microsoft as a Customer Security Officer

Maine’s Cybersecurity Trailblazer Nathan Willigar Joins Microsoft’s Elite Team

Summary

• Nathan Willigar, Maine’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), is leaving state government for a job at Microsoft.
• His last day with the state is Sept. 19, 2025, after six years as Maine’s top cybersecurity official.
• He will be a customer security officer in Microsoft’s state, local and education business.
• His record includes responding to a China-linked attack on the state’s Ivanti VPN and setting up Maine’s federal cyber grant work.

Six Years as Maine’s Cyber Chief

Willigar announced the move on LinkedIn in late August 2025, StateScoop reported. He has worked for the state for more than a decade and has been its CISO for the past six years. He called that time “especially meaningful” and credited the team that built what he described as “a strong, resilient, and respected cybersecurity program.”

A New Chapter at Microsoft

At Microsoft, Willigar will serve as a customer security officer in the company’s state, local and education (SLED) business. The role puts him on the other side of the table, supporting the kind of public-sector leaders he worked alongside in Maine.

On LinkedIn, he said the job lets him “carry forward everything I’ve learned, and to support leaders at every level as they build for the future.” The mission continues, he wrote, just on a broader stage.

What He Did for Maine

Willigar’s work for the state was wide-ranging. He led a pause on generative AI use while the state studied its risks, and he added TikTok and other apps from its operator, ByteDance, to Maine’s list of prohibited technologies.

He also led responses to several attacks, including a zero-day exploit later tied to China that compromised the state’s Ivanti Connect Secure VPN. And he helped set up Maine’s part of the federal State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program, whose first projects included multi-factor authentication and phishing simulations.

What His Move Says About Public-Sector Talent

Willigar is the latest state cyber leader to move to a large tech company’s public-sector team. Vendors want people who know how state agencies actually work. States, in turn, lose experienced leaders they spent years developing.

For Maine, the immediate task is choosing a successor who can keep the program running. For Microsoft’s state and local customers, it means a security officer with first-hand experience of the pressures they face.

John King, CISSP, PMP, CISM

John King currently works in the greater Los Angeles area as a ISSO (Information Systems Security Officer). John has a passion for learning and developing his cyber security skills through education, hands on work, and studying for IT certifications.