Two UMGC degrees supported a career built on continual learning
The official leading Maryland’s statewide cybersecurity efforts is also a two-time University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) graduate.
In May 2026, James Saunders ’11, ’13 was officially sworn in as Maryland’s state chief information security officer (SCISO), about a year after first stepping into the role on an acting basis. As SCISO, he leads the Office of Security Management within the Maryland Department of Information Technology, overseeing cybersecurity efforts for state agencies.
His office develops statewide cybersecurity policies, standards, and guidelines for state agencies; coordinates with local governments; and works with federal partners and other states to strengthen Maryland’s cyber resilience. When cyber incidents occur, Saunders and his team also help agencies restore normal operations as quickly as possible.
For Saunders, being sworn into the role was about more than a title. Standing before Maryland Gov. Wes Moore with his wife, parents, mentor, and colleagues around him, he described the ceremony as the culmination of years of personal sacrifice, academic persistence, and professional growth.
“That moment felt like my personal, academic, and professional journey all coming together at once,” Saunders said. “When I look back on how I got there, I think about consistently choosing the hard path, taking on difficult challenges, and pushing myself to become as technically strong as I could. That journey is what made that moment so meaningful.”
That mindset has shaped Saunders throughout his life. He said he has long been drawn to challenge and uncertainty, seeing both as necessary parts of growth.
“I choose the hard path whenever possible because I enjoy the challenge,” Saunders said. “I enjoy the uncertainty and the struggle because, when you overcome all of that, the reward on the other side feels that much better.”
A curiosity for how things work
Saunders described himself as the kind of kid who wanted to understand how things worked long before cybersecurity became his career. He remembers taking apart appliances, warping the colors on the family TV screen using magnets, and gravitating toward science and engineering. He also participated in MESA, the Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement program, taking part in hands-on engineering and science activities.
“I’ve always been technically inclined,” Saunders said. “My parents and family still tell stories about how, as a kid, I would take apart toasters and always want to go to the science center at the Inner Harbor. I was constantly curious about how things worked. Looking back, that curiosity was always there.”
That curiosity eventually led him to Morgan State University, where he studied electrical and electronics engineering. But family responsibilities required him to step away from school so he could work and support his family. He said UMGC offered him a path to continue his education while balancing the realities of adult life.
“I discovered UMGC at the right time in my life. I had to leave my previous school because I needed to work and support my family obligations, but I never gave up on my dream of earning a degree. I became the first person in my family to graduate from college, and UMGC helped me make that possible,” Saunders said.
“What drew me to UMGC was its online flexibility and its connection to the University System of Maryland. I wanted a school that could fit my life while still keeping me connected to a strong and respected university community.”
James Saunders ’11, ’13 Maryland State Chief Information Security Officer
Finding a path that fit his life
Saunders graduated from UMGC in 2011 with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Information Technology. At the time, the Baltimore-area native was working in Baltimore County, providing desktop, server, and mobile device support. An experience there pushed him toward cybersecurity.
“When I was working in IT, the organization I supported was hit with malware. I worked with the system administrator as he manually removed it by deleting threads, making registry changes, and bringing the system back online. Watching that process, I thought, ‘What is this?’ When I looked into it, I realized it was part of cybersecurity, and I knew that was what I wanted to do,” Saunders said.
“By the next day, I was applying back to UMGC because I wanted to study cybersecurity. I wanted to do reverse malware engineering. I wanted to be the person who could take malware apart and stop it from impacting the systems I used to run. That was the spark that pushed me into cybersecurity. It just seemed difficult, hard, and fun, and I knew I wanted to do it.”
He returned to UMGC and earned a Master of Science in Cybersecurity in 2013. Saunders said the degree was important, but so were the habits he developed while earning it. In a field where threats constantly change, he said learning to absorb information quickly and apply it immediately has been essential throughout his career.
“One of the biggest lessons I learned at UMGC was how to learn online, learn quickly, and apply what I learned right away. That skill still shapes how I work today,” Saunders said. “In cybersecurity, everything is constantly evolving, from threat actors changing their tactics to using AI to amplify them, so you have to be able to adapt fast. I first built that foundation at UMGC, where learning quickly and applying quickly was essential to my success.”
James Saunders ’11, ’13 Maryland State Chief Information Security Officer
Learning to lead
That ability has served him across more than 15 years in cybersecurity and IT leadership in government and the private sector. Before joining Maryland’s Department of Information Technology, Saunders was chief information security officer and deputy chief information officer at the U.S. Office of Personnel Management. Before that, he was chief information security officer at the U.S. Small Business Administration.
For Saunders, technical knowledge is only part of what it takes to succeed, especially in leadership. He said higher-level cybersecurity roles require people skills, business acumen, and the ability to communicate risk clearly to nontechnical audiences.
He encouraged current UMGC learners to build those skills alongside their technical knowledge. That means learning to explain complex issues in plain language, understanding budgeting and related business functions, and building an authentic professional network grounded in trust rather than transaction. It also means seeking out mentors, practicing leadership in small ways, and not being afraid to fail.
“If I can do it, you can do it,” Saunders said. “I do not believe there is anything uniquely special about me that others cannot develop in themselves. Choose the harder path, because that is what will challenge you to grow. Get out of your comfort zone. Take the calculated risk.”
Saunders also sees collaboration as central to cybersecurity. While attackers may only need to succeed once, he said, defenders have to respond every time, making information sharing and partnership essential.
“When organizations share intelligence, learn from both attacker successes and failures, and keep working together, the entire ecosystem becomes stronger and more resilient over time,” Saunders said. “The threats will keep changing and attackers will keep innovating, but if we keep learning and collaborating, we can stay ahead.”
Today, as Saunders leads cybersecurity efforts for the state of Maryland, his career remains rooted in the same qualities that first drew him to the field: curiosity, continuous learning, and a willingness to take on hard things.
From left, James Saunders Jr., Valvia Saunders, Keyonna Saunders, James Saunders, Governor Wes Moore, Lieutenant Governor Aruna Miller, Melvin Brown, and Secretary Katie Savage, at Saunders’ swearing in ceremony in May 2026.
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Learn more about cybersecurity in action at UMGC, and register for events and webinars throughout the month at www.umgc.edu/cyberaware.