According to findings of a recent survey conducted by Deloitte and the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), “State Governments at risk: A Call to Secure Citizen Data and Inspire Public Trust,” state governments, as custodians of the most comprehensive collection of citizens’ Personally Identifiable Information (PII), must make cybersecurity a top priority. The study finds that many state Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) lack the funding, programs and resources to adequately protect vital government data and the personal information of their constituents, especially when compared to their counterparts in private sector enterprises. “Many state CISOs lack the visibility and authority to effectively drive security down to the individual agency level,” said the director, Deloitte & Touche LLP and leader of state government security and privacy services. “At the federal level, the President has recognized the critical nature of the problem and appointed a cybersecurity coordinator to address it; it’s imperative that governors and state legislative leaders make cybersecurity a priority.” “Unprecedented budgetary cuts across state governments and growing reliance on contractors and outsourced IT services are creating an environment that is even harder to secure,” said the president of NASCIO and CIO for Utah. The study is based on a survey responses from 49 of the 50 states.

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