It's only become more urgent for state and local governments to mount a collective defense, current and former state cyber leaders said.

Former NSA Director Keith Alexander and former North Carolina Chief Risk Officer Maria Thompson offer a whole-of-state cyber strategy.

Thompson, who stepped down from state government June 4, is now a lead cybersecurity adviser to Amazon Web Services' state and local clients.

Maria Thompson, who had been North Carolina's chief risk officer since 2015, has taken a role in the private sector, state officials said.

Four Black cybersecurity officials speaking at the RSA Conference discussed the importance of of having diverse workforces in government.

While cyberattacks against the public sector haven't slowed down at all, some states are putting more resources into how they help local governments recover.

Collaboration "is the only way that we are doing to be able to move the needle when it comes to cybersecurity,” said North Carolina Chief Risk Officer…

In an online event, IT officials said enabling entire state workforces to work from home stirred unexpected lessons about culture, cybersecurity and training.

Finding trusted local partners is crucial for a statewide cybersecurity strategy, North Carolina Chief Risk Officer Maria Thompson said during a NASCIO webcast.

North Carolina CIO Eric Boyette will serve as the organization's president, succeeding Delaware CIO James Collins.