National Governors Association launches state cyber policy academy
Five states plan to participate in a new cybersecurity policy academy sponsored by the National Governors Association.
The workshop aims to help officials update their state policies so they meet rapidly evolving cybersecurity threats, the group announced Thursday. Sessions will be run by the organization’s staff and private sector partners as well as Govs. Terry McAuliffe of Virginia and Rick Snyder of Michigan, who also lead the NGA’s working group on cyber — the Resource Center for State Cybersecurity.
For the workshop, representatives from Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Nevada and Oregon will work together to tackle specific cybersecurity policy and strategy challenges. NGA holds other academies that cover various topics throughout the year.
McAuliffe, who also serves as co-chairman of the NGA, said the academy will help states improve their cybersecurity posture and prepare for looming cyberthreats.
In Virginia, McAuliffe has made cybersecurity one of the defining issues of his administration. The state was the first to launch a statewide information sharing and analysis organization. McAuliffe also created a cybersecurity commission to assist in the development of policies and to help prosecute cybercrime.
“Threats to cybersecurity remain one of the most significant homeland security challenges facing the nation,” McAuliffe said in the release. “This opportunity [through NGA] will allow states to learn effective cybersecurity practices to better safeguard citizens.”
Contact the reporter who wrote this story at jake.williams@statescoop.com and follow him on Twitter @JakeWilliamsDC.
