Examining the Risks and Realities Facing Cybersecurity Decision-Makers
Gina Macaluso, an employee of Covered California, the state's health insurance exchange, provides information at a call center. California, Kentucky and Vermont had "significant" cybersecurity weakesses in their exchanges, federal investigators found. Rich Pedroncelli / AP File Photo
ROUTE FIFTY SPECIAL REPORT: We take a look at issues like state budgeting for cyber defense, intergovernmental coordination, analytics and training for effective cyber response.
This week in Baltimore, the state government IT and cybersecurity community will be gathering for the National Association of State Chief Information Officers 2016 mid-year meetings. On the agenda will be issues including procurement, digital privacy, legacy IT systems and collaboration. Cybersecurity is always an ongoing topic of dialogue for state government CIOs and others in public sector IT management. It’s a multi-layered issue that weaves in discussions about state budgeting, intergovernmental coordination and workforce training.
In a Route Fifty Special Report, we examine some of the important ongoing policy discussions, ideas and issues when it comes to cybersecurity. While the state CIO community is well aware of the risks and realities when it comes to cyber defense and the IT assets they are responsible for protecting, there’s still a lot of education to do when it comes to informing elected officials and other important decision makers. Many local governments face similar challenges.
“We think it’s important for us to proactively try to put the best controls in place that we possibly can, and not go ask the Legislature and folks for money after a disastrous event,” Chris Buse, Minnesota’s chief information security officer, told Route Fifty for our special report.
Click here to see the full report or scroll down for article links below.
— Michael Grass
Executive Editor, Route Fifty
Government Executive Media Group | Atlantic Media
“Minnesota Governor’s Big Cybersecurity Spending Plan Gets Iffy Support in Legislature” | By Bill Lucia
Debate about funding levels reflects national discussion about whether states are investing enough to keep computer systems and data safe from hackers and other threats.
“State and Local Officials Stress Need for Better Coordination to Target Cyber Disruptions” | By Dave Nyczepir
Training, technology and partnerships are critical to to infrastructure defense, according to a new white paper, but do encryption and privacy concerns really stand in government’s way?
“States Might Want to Consider Advanced Cyber Analytics for Cybersecurity. Here’s Why.” | By Bill Lucia
Quickly detecting threats is a key goal with this approach to keeping computer networks safe.
“How States Can Improve Cyber Threat Intelligence Sharing With the Feds” | By Dave Nyczepir
Virginia has taken a number of steps to boost interoperability with federal agencies: Consolidating network infrastructure, investing in fusion centers, and filling its cyber workforce gap with college grads.
“Is Your State Ready for a Cyberattack on Top of a Natural Disaster?” | By Dave Nyczepir
NASCIO doesn’t think so, so it’s developed a government response planning guide for cyber disruptions.
“Developing a Cyberattack Curriculum to Improve Emergency Response” | By Bill Lucia
A pilot version of a new course was offered for the first time in January to Utah’s state government.
Michael Grass is Executive Editor of Government Executive's Route Fifty.
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