The N.C. Department of Information Technology’s whole-of-state cybersecurity plan and the leader driving it, State Chief Information Security Officer Bernice Russell-Bond, have each been named finalists for statewide and regional awards.
The 2025–2030 Cybersecurity Strategic Plan marks North Carolina’s most comprehensive modernization of statewide cybersecurity governance. Developed within Russell-Bond's first 100 days at NCDIT after she joined NCDIT in March 2025, the plan moves the state from fragmented, compliance-driven security to a unified, risk-based, whole-of-state model built on six pillars: threat surface management, statewide CISO accountability, governance, education, resilience, and workforce development.
Since then, Russell-Bond has guided NCDIT in launching a standardized risk and threat model and broadening workforce partnerships with the Carolina Cyber Network of community colleges and universities. She has also expanded shared services – including centralized monitoring and incident response – across state agencies, local governments, and higher education.
The plan was named a finalist in the Cybersecurity Innovation category of the NC TECH Association's 2026 Core Innovation Awards. The recipients will be announced on Nov. 16.
Russell-Bond was also celebrated as a finalist in the Large Corporate category of the 2026 Carolina CISO ORBIE Awards. The Sept. 9 ceremony honored CISOs demonstrating excellence in technology leadership across the Carolinas.
