John Nemoto
Vice President, CGI Federal
As a senior cloud and cybersecurity expert, John Nemoto provides innovative cloud-based solutions for clients in the national security sector, including the Department of Homeland Security.
Nemoto spent the past several years developing cloud-based cybersecurity services, partnering with leading commercial cloud providers to deliver cybersecurity solutions to over 65 federal agencies through the $7 billion Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
In 2024, building on the foundation he laid earlier, he oversaw the expansion of cloud-based managed security services, doubling the number of cloud-based cybersecurity capabilities made available to U.S. federal agencies. Leveraging best-of-breed cybersecurity tools and governance models delivered via the cloud enables agencies to protect the nation’s assets, he said.
Why Watch
In 2025, Nemoto is working to increase efficiencies through standardizing on managed services through the cloud, which enhances security measures and can reduce costs to make them more available to smaller agencies. Delivering needed services to agencies at every size is important for the government’s overall security, and Nemoto believes the cloud is the key mechanism for making that possible.
Another priority for the year is the security of the cloud itself. As part of this work, Nemoto is prioritizing the implementation and adoption of zero-trust network access and cloud security tools into CGI Federal’s managed services offerings to ensure only authorized individuals or systems can gain access to restricted resources in and adjacent to the cloud.
He’s also developing use cases for incorporating artificial intelligence and other innovative technologies, all to make cloud-based cybersecurity ever more powerful and versatile. Endpoint detection and response tools, for example, can rapidly evolve into AI-powered extended and cloud detection and response, carrying out advanced correlation and threat detection across massive data sets.
Nemoto sees AI as a potentially dramatic force multiplier in cybersecurity, accelerating and sharpening the accuracy of detecting and mitigating threats in real time.
“The cloud gives small agencies access to powerful cybersecurity via managed services,” Nemoto said. “As a provider of those services, I believe it’s incumbent on us to ensure we’re equipping federal agencies with the best software and technology — including AI — that we can. It gives them the maximum return on investment while securing our nation’s sensitive information.”
Fun fact: Nemoto is a dedicated craft cocktail maker who spends hours or even days perfecting each drink. From making tinctures to fat-washing spirits for new flavors and textures, he takes pride in his precision —though he admits most people don’t see the point of the effort.