State Officials Fear Over Failed Efforts to Prevent Cyberattacks

Cybersecurity is an important factor when you consider how much technology has wrapped itself in day-to-day life and our existence on this Earth. The mounting cybersecurity issues that we face every day is enough to worry anyone if they are brought to light, let alone state officials who have the task of improving responses to countless cyberattacks that take place every day.

The ability of state officials to properly react and solve cyberattacks has become a major concern, one that has resulted from the failed ability to hire and maintain top cybersecurity workers. President and COO of the Center for Internet Security and former Air Force General, Steven Spano, told the Hose Homeland Security Committee that cybersecurity workers are a "high-demand, low-density asset."

There appears to be an outcry from states to the U.S. Government to help them improve upon their cybersecurity infrastructure as a whole. Possibly going against the grain, is the idea of a looming difficulty of hiring cybersecurity professionals, especially when states are competing with private industry entities for the very best people.

Adding to the woes on the local state level, funding has been an issue when it comes to technology training programs and hiring works with properly accommodating pay. Not only is the battle amongst private industries a looming issue for states to hire but paying cybersecurity professionals their worth presents an issue if state funding remains low.

Currently, there are not viable statistics to point out the issues about cybersecurity positions in state governments. However, most states are said to spend between one and two percent of the IT budget on cybersecurity, which is yet another factor leading to the worries that state officials have when it comes to preventing future cyberattacks.

There are many other areas of concern that present themselves due to the low funding. Though, outside of funding, there is an issue of cyberthreat information sharing. Files shared between federal government and states have improved. However, much of the information remains classified, which keeps it from being examined and brought to light for the betterment of state's cybersecurity infrastructure. Until the classification of cyberthreat information is downgraded, states won't be able to share the useful content that may assist with fortifying cybersecurity.

Many officials and lawmakers will argue the case of states having the proper power, resources, and funding to prevent cyberattacks. While many officials are on both sides of the isle, the looming issue with cybersecurity among states is not going to fix itself. Until the government at the higher level realizes there is a serious flaw with how states are putting forth their efforts to prevent cyberattacks for many reasons, hackers and cybercrooks may take advantage of the case and initiate a proliferation of new malware and cybersecurity attacks that eventually affects people on a massive scale.