State chief information security officers are being given more authority to implement cybersecurity initiatives as government agencies transition to digital and virtual operations and services, according to a joint study by professional services firm Deloitte and the National Association of State Chief Information Officers.
Data from the study, released Tuesday, show that all 50 states have appointed a CISO, and more legislators are including the role in laws and appropriations.
Positions such as chief risk officers, chief privacy officers and identity program directors are also being created to help shoulder the responsibilities of CISOs.
However, 60 percent of responding information security leaders said there are staff competency issues that need to be addressed.
On a more positive note, the respondents reported that government branches are increasingly adopting robotic process automation, artificial intelligence and cloud computing to modernize customer service.
“State CISOs played critical roles helping the country successfully navigate the twists and turns of the pandemic, and this year’s survey identifies the steps needed to grow this increasingly public role and meet the current and future challenges faced by state agencies,” said Meredith Ward, NASCIO director of policy and research, and a co-author of the study.
