The National Governors Association (NGA) released The Cybersecurity Workforce: States’ Needs and Opportunities, which examines factors to consider when creating a comprehensive state strategy to improve cybersecurity.
The most direct challenge governors face is making sure that their states’ systems are cyber secure. Hiring new employees, training or retraining current employees and contracting out for cybersecurity services are three ways that states can meet their needs. States are well advised to have a core of employees with cybersecurity expertise who are capable of assessing the state’s specific needs and making decisions about what aspects and how much of a state’s cybersecurity will be provided by state employees and what aspects of it are more cost effective to contract out.
Governors also should consider the role of the National Guard. At the governor’s direction, the National Guard’s cyber expertise could be used to coordinate, train, advise and assist state agencies in performing vulnerability assessments of information networks and systems. The National Guard also is well-positioned to support cyber incident response and recovery operations.
