ITI Unveils its Cyber Action Plan: Infrastructure Implementation Recommendations for State and Local Governments
WASHINGTON – As state and local governments implement key cyber provisions of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, global tech trade association ITI released a series of recommendations to help guide leaders as they prioritize and invest the law’s resources in both broadband buildout plans and requests for cyber specific grants.
“Government entities face an increasingly sophisticated range of cybersecurity threats, and state and local governments are particularly susceptible to criminal hackers given the amount of sensitive information they store, the number of access points to IT systems, and the aging IT infrastructure,” said ITI President and CEO Jason Oxman. “The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act includes significant levels of new resources aimed at making state and local information systems more resilient. We hope these recommendations help state and local leaders effectively implement this crucial funding and secure their critical infrastructure.”
In its recommendations – sent to governors and key state officials in states including Florida, Texas, California, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Washington – ITI urges state and local governments to:
- Adopt new commercial cyber technologies to ensure governments have access to up-to-date cybersecurity measures and safeguards and can assist state and local governments in bolstering their defenses.
- Prioritize IT modernization and secure line-item budget funding to support this investment.
- Support funding for cyber defense capabilities, cybersecurity education, training, and skills development programs for state and local employees.
- Adopt federal cyber standards and collaborate with federal partners, such as the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework (CSF).
- Adopt cloud solutions and recognize pre-existing compliance regimes for IT vendors.
- Support DHS state and local cybersecurity programs.
- Develop robust incident response and recovery plans that ensure cyberattacks are addressed in real-time and limit the damage.
Read ITI’s Cyber Action Plan: Infrastructure Implementation Recommendations for State and Local Governments here.
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