How the EO Could Mature State and Local Cybersecurity Often, the federal government can seem like an older sibling to
state and local governments. The average federal agency has a
larger budget and staff than most state and local agencies; federal
organizations are also more likely to steer state and local agencies
Doug Robinson
Meredith Ward
down the trails they blaze.
Cybersecurity is no different, and the recent EO on this topic covers many moves federal agencies
are familiar with. Although the EO does not force any state or local governments to follow suit, they may want to mirror many of the document’s minutiae.
GovLoop spoke with NASCIO Executive Director Doug Robinson and Director of Policy & Research Meredith Ward about how Biden’s cybersecurity EO could make the public sector’s overall cybersecurity more mature.
The interview below has been lightly edited for brevity and clarity.
GOVLOOP: Where are state and local agencies struggling with cybersecurity?
we have today, the fact that across the
board – from elected to appointed officials,
particularly elected officials – cybersecurity
ROBINSON: Generally, the states are not
organized to succeed around cybersecurity. They don’t have enterprise governance
capabilities and disciplines in their
Their investments are not commensurate to
the risk. That is more problematic at the local
36
I look at this as a business problem that
needs to be articulated without this constant
organization to succeed in cybersecurity.
business risk. I think that’s part of the gap
an IT issue. “That’s the CIO’s problem – that’s now seen that come full bore.
By that I mean they don’t have the requisite
I think that cybersecurity is a significant
understood. They still want to think of this as an IT issue.” But it’s a business issue. We’ve
that’s strong.
government level.
is not embraced, cybersecurity is not well
fear. This is life in the digital age, and we need to become more mature in how we address
it. That’s the whole core of the EO, a whole set of directed actions that makes the federal
government mature and modern. State and local agencies are dealing with the same thing.
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