One day after news broke of a former contractor being arrested for hacking into Grainger's inventory management computer servers, the MRO distribution giant announced Friday that it has appointed Mark Lohman to the role of Chief Information Security Officer (CISO).
Lohman has been with Grainger since October of 2014, having served as senior director of infomation security and business continuity the past 3+ years.
"(Lohman) has played an important role in establishing and maintaining the company's cybersecurity vision and collaborating with customers, Grainger leadership and the board of directors on security-related matters," Grainger stated.
This new appointment formalizes Lohman's CISO role with Grainger, which includes functioning as the company's HIPAA Security Officer.
"Mark has decades of experience in information security, and we are excited to announce his new role as Chief Information Security Officer," said Greg Harman, Grainger Vice President and Chief Information Officer. "Cyber threats are constantly evolving at the same time our company information must become more accessible and mobile for our customers, suppliers and team members. This means companies need to prioritize vigilance and awareness to realize information security. Strengthening our commitment to cybersecurity demonstrates to all of our partners that Grainger plays an active role in securing sensitive data and our systems, and enables Grainger to be a reliable and trusted partner."
Before Grainger, Lohman spent 10 years as information security general manager - Americas at Computer Sciences Corporation, which merged with HP Enterprise Services in April of 2017 to form DXC Technology.
"Lohman spent his career of more than 20 years leading and training security teams, managing incident response issues and delivering security solutions to large global companies across several industries, including aerospace and defense, energy, financial services and healthcare," Grainger stated.
The U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northeast District of Illinois stated Thursday that a former information technology contractor for Grainger was arrested Wednesday on charges that he hacked into Grainger's headquarters servers multiple times during July 2016, intentionally damaging the company's automated inventory management program. Read more here.
