Keith Brautigam is an IT and cybersecurity professional with extensive experience in identity and access management. His career has grown from hands-on systems administration into senior technology leadership, including serving as Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) and Interim Chief Information Officer (CIO) at Penn State University. His work has focused on cybersecurity, IT modernization, access management, compliance, and improving technology operations across different organizations.
Early Life and Education of Keith Brautigam
Keith was born in San Diego, California, and moved to the East Bay Area of San Francisco when he was two years old—his interest in technology developed through friends whose families had early Amiga and Atari computers. At first, he mainly enjoyed playing video games. Over time, however, he became more interested in understanding how computers worked and how their performance could be improved to support a better gaming experience.
His family later relocated to Iowa City, Iowa, while Keith was attending high school. He went on to study Communication and Media Studies at the University of Iowa. During his education, he also had the opportunity to study abroad in Mérida, Venezuela.
Early Career of Keith Brautigam
After earning his degree, Keith entered the workforce during a difficult period for technology employment following the collapse of the 1990s eCommerce bubble. He moved to the Research Triangle in North Carolina and worked as a supervisor at a Borders bookstore. Although the role was outside the career path he originally expected, he considered the customer service and supervisory training he received there to be valuable.
Keith Brautigam, CIO, later returned to Iowa City for a visit and unexpectedly received a job offer from the medical research center where he had previously worked as a student. He accepted a position as an IT Systems Administrator, which became an important step in shaping his future career.
In that position, he gained a clearer understanding of the growing importance of IT compliance and data security, especially as HIPAA regulations became increasingly important. He managed secure systems used in clinical and research environments, with a particular focus on lung imaging. His work supported researchers studying diseases such as emphysema and seeking possible cures.
Transition to Higher Education and Leadership with Keith Brautigam
After several years in his role, Keith decided to pursue a new challenge in higher education. He joined a research administration team that was working to modernize internal processes and move operations to online systems. This experience introduced him to Agile SCRUM software development practices and gave him exposure to newer web technologies.
His work eventually gained the attention of the central IT department at the University of Iowa, and he was recruited to join its Identity and Access Management (IAM) team.
Keith's career continued to advance, and in 2014, he was recruited for a management role at Penn State University. Over the next several years, he earned multiple promotions, moving from Manager to Director, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), and Deputy CIO. In 2023, he was appointed Interim Chief Information Officer (CIO), taking responsibility for leading the university's information technology enterprise.
During his tenure, Keith also earned several professional qualifications, including the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification, an MBA, and a Graduate Certificate in Strategic Leadership.
Leadership at Penn State University with Keith Brautigam
As CISO, Keith Brautigam of Penn State led Penn State University's information security program, which served over 200,000 students, faculty, and staff and protected over $1 billion in annual research expenditures. He played an important role in developing and carrying out the university's cybersecurity strategy while leading initiatives designed to strengthen security throughout the organization.
One major effort was the Shields Up initiative, which applied CISA best practices to improve protection for the university's network, devices, and business email systems.
As Deputy CIO, Keith led the reorganization of Penn State's 600-person central IT department. The restructuring focused on aligning services more closely with key stakeholders while improving the span of control.
He also directed the implementation of a new Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) product that improved security and saved the university $500,000 annually. Another significant project involved modernizing the Web Single Sign-On platform with Microsoft Entra ID. The project successfully moved over 500 applications away from a legacy platform in just 12 months.
During his CIO leadership, Keith also oversaw the implementation of an enterprise Identity Governance system. This effort strengthened role-based access control and improved service provisioning and the management of 1.2 million user accounts.
Moving to Hunter Douglas with Keith Brautigam
At the end of 2023, Keith moved to the Denver Metro Area to be closer to family. In March 2024, he joined Hunter Douglas, a leader in window coverings and architectural products located in Broomfield, Colorado.
He served as the Global Cybersecurity Director of Identity and Access Management. His responsibilities included quickly building an IAM program that covered strategy, staffing, and software. He led an aggressive implementation of a leading Identity Governance Administrative system across North America and EMEA to replace legacy systems and support compliance with SOX regulations.
Keith also helped develop a solution architecture for global access management that included privileged account management, unified single sign-on, and privileged remote access. He worked with IT and business leaders to strengthen the security of critical HR and finance systems while meeting complex regulatory requirements across multiple countries.
His work also included supporting the launch of a business-critical B2B service based on Salesforce with complex security requirements. He led a team consisting of full-time staff, contractors, and implementation partners.
Following his tenure at Hunter Douglas, Keith Brautigam moved to Radiology Partners in 2025, continuing his focus on IAM Strategy.
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