Coffee with Kehoe with State CISO Ralph Johnson

In this episode of Coffee with Kehoe, Washington State CIO and WaTech Director Bill Kehoe and co-host Amy Pearson sit down with Washington State Chief Information Security Officer Ralph Johnson to discuss the rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape and the growing impact of artificial intelligence on government technology. The conversation explores why AI has overtaken cybersecurity as the top strategic technology priority, how AI is transforming both cyber defense and cyber threats, and what state and local governments must do to prepare for the future. Ralph also shares insights from more than two decades of cybersecurity leadership across state, county, and private-sector organizations. From staffing challenges and threat detection to quantum computing and the future role of the state CISO, this episode offers an inside look at how public-sector technology leaders are working to protect critical infrastructure, resident data, and public trust in an increasingly complex digital world.