Local, state and federal officials will gather for a two-day policy academy to examine how to strengthen the state’s planning for cyber disruptions and make recommendations for updating cybersecurity laws.
The National Governors Association (NGA) Policy Academy on Implementing State Cybersecurity will be held October 23-24 in Raleigh. North Carolina was one of just four states selected to host the academy, along with Indiana, West Virginia and Wisconsin. The state Department of Information Technology (DIT) and the Department of Public Safety (DPS) are partnering to host the event.
“North Carolina has developed an excellent and well-deserved reputation for dealing with disruptions caused by natural disasters. This academy will help sharpen our planning and preparation for potential disruptions related to technology, and I welcome the opportunity to think about new ways to improve our work,” said DIT Secretary and State Chief Information Officer Eric Boyette.
North Carolina was chosen to participate based on the strength of its existing cybersecurity strategy and preparation for cyber threats, as well as its priorities of strengthening cyber governance, becoming a model state for cybersecurity policies, and partnering with the private sector to grow the state’s cybersecurity workforce.
In addition to DIT and DPS, representatives of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the federal Department of Homeland Security, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the State Bureau of Investigation, the North Carolina National Guard, the North Carolina Fusion Center, municipal governments, and other stakeholders are expected to participate in the academy.
“With NGA’s guidance and the cross-discipline team we are bringing together, we expect to make a lot of progress toward refining the strong policies we already have in place,” said Maria Thompson, State Chief Risk Officer with DIT. “We want North Carolina to remain an undesirable target for any malicious actors."