TikTok Appoints Renowned Industry Expert as Chief Information Security Officer

The ByteDance-owned short video app TikTok announced the appointment of Roland Cloutier, a renowned cybersecurity expert, as the company’s Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) who will report directly to CEO Alex Zhu.

With over 30 years of experience in cybersecurity, Cloutier previously served in the United States Air Force, Department of Defense, and Department of Veterans Affairs. Before joining TikTok he worked as Chief Security Officer at the management services company ADP. Cloutier is also a published author who has written numerous articles on security and a book, “Becoming a Global Chief Security Officer,” providing valuable insights for aspiring security executives.

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“As TikTok grows and serves an ever-larger, more diverse global community, we have a clear responsibility to continue to maximize security on our platform,” said Alex Zhu, commenting on the news. “We are thrilled to have a recognized global expert and leader like Roland to help us deliver on that promise. Under his leadership, and with the exceptional global team we already have in place, we are confident in our ability to earn the trust of the broader community by delivering world-class security systems, processes and policies.”

Mr. Cloutier added, “It is a privilege to join TikTok’s talented team as the company continues its amazing journey of building a vibrant global community. There has never been a more exciting or challenging time to serve in the security field. I am looking forward to working with my new colleagues at TikTok to develop the solutions required to protect our hundreds of millions of users and creators around the world.”

This move comes just days after the US Senate Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism held a hearing where Senator Josh Hawley announced he would propose to ban TikTok from the devices of all federal employees, citing data security concerns.