NASCIO Issues Better Data Security Through Classification: A Game Plan for Smart Cybersecurity Investments

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The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) today released Better Data Security Through Classification: A Game Plan for Smart Cybersecurity Investments. The brief, a joint project between NASCIO’s Cybersecurity Committee and Data Protection Working Group, explains why a risk based cybersecurity approach is the most beneficial to state government data. When states take a risk based approach they improve operational efficiency, assessments are more accurate, attack surfaces are reduced and decision making is improved. As the brief states, taking an enterprise mentality brings together previously silo-based security and IT tools and allows for ongoing and continuous data monitoring and assessing. 

Data is critical to state government and why state chief information officers (CIOs) ranked data management and analytics-e.g. data governance; data architecture; strategy; business intelligence; predictive analytics; big data; roles and responsibilities-as a top priority for 2017 (www.nascio.org/topten). Additionally, in the 2016 State CIO Survey, 42% of state CIOs characterized data governance as high on their strategic and operational plan.

“A risk-based approach to cybersecurity is ideal for state governments because it enables incremental and measurable improvement. Data classification is a critical step in the process of understanding the critical data we protect,” said Mark Raymond, NASCIO President and CIO of the State of Connecticut. 

Today, it is not uncommon for the true and core value of a state to reside in its data assets, specifically the information it collects, develops, and stores, and in the products it develops and sells that are comprised of the data, or derived from the data. We live in the information age. Information is the fuel for the engine that propels virtually every decision that is made in business today. Once data is classified, there are additional steps that can and should be taken to realize all the benefits of classification, so this guide is intended to provide a path into what can become a “life-cycle” type of exercise, repeating at periodic intervals on into the future, rather than a project that becomes final, or “completed.” Systems and system data continue to change, so classification of the data must be updated in order to remain accurate and useful.

Read the brief at www.nascio.org/publications.

NASCIO Technology Champion Award Presented to Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe

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The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) has awarded Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe with the association’s 2017 NASCIO Technology Champion award. Governor McAuliffe was presented the award at the 2017 NASCIO Midyear Conference in Arlington, VA for his leadership in advancing information technology as an effective tool for government.
“We are pleased to present the 2017 NASCIO Technology Champion award to Governor McAuliffe,” said Mark Raymond, CIO for the State of Connecticut and NASCIO president. “Governor McAuliffe has made prioritizing cybersecurity a trademark of his administration. His leadership in IT has had an immediate positive impact and serves as an example nationally.”
As Chair of the National Governor’s Association, Governor McAuliffe declared cybersecurity the top priority for states under a “Meet the Threat: States confront the Cyber Challenge” initiative.  A primary goal of the initiative is for states to develop strategies for strengthening cybersecurity practices as they relate to state IT networks, health care, education, public safety, energy, transportation, critical infrastructure, economic development, and the workforce. And in Virginia, the Governor has also made significant efforts to diversify the commonwealth’s economy and protect citizen data.  Cybersecurity is one of Governor McAuliffe’s top priorities and a key component of the New Virginia Economy. This includes the development of a sustainable talent pipeline capable of providing skilled, industry-ready workers to meet this increasing demand.
Learn more about the NASCIO Technology Champion award and prior recipients at www.nascio.org/awards/ntc.

State Chief Information Officer David Cagigal, State of Wisconsin, Profiled in NASCIO State CIOs Make a Difference Campaign

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State Chief Information Officer (CIO) David Cagigal is making a difference for Wisconsin by leading enterprise collaboration to align the state’s technology investment strategies with the top policy priorities of the Governor and Legislature.

Over the next two weeks, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers will feature the work and accomplishments of Cagigal and the Department of Enterprise Technology (DET) in the State CIOs Make a Difference campaign. Wisconsin’s profile will specifically highlight the many ways in which Adaptive Leadership and collaboration are moving the state forward to achieve common goals and optimize the citizen experience with state government.

“In Wisconsin, we now view enterprise collaboration as our everyday way of doing business,” said Cagigal, “It has guided our data center consolidation efforts, our recent enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation, our cybersecurity strategies, and our e-government program, just to cite a few examples. I firmly believe in the potential of enterprise collaboration to keep us moving forward.”

Learn more about Wisconsin’s on the campaign website,  www.NASCIO.org/CIOsMakeaDifference. Follow @NASCIO and #StateCIOsRock on Twitter for campaign highlights and updates. 

NASCIO Issues Advancing Digital Government: Better Decision-Making through Data Sharing Agreements

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The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) today released the first in a series of briefs focused on data sharing agreements. These agreements are essential to ensuring consistent expectations and no surprises when information is shared across government lines of business. This report focuses on how states can enable data sharing and guarantee success.   

“Data sharing agreements must be put in place to establish the terms of agreement, particularly when sharing sensitive data,” said Stu Davis, Chief Information Officer, State of Ohio, and co-chair of the NASCIO Data Management Working Group.  “Terms should be clearly specified and must align with an established set of principles that guide information sharing.  The intent is rather simple; let’s make sure decision makers have the information they need to reach the outcomes for our citizens that we’re trying to achieve.”

Dewand Neely, Chief Information Officer, State of Indiana, and co-chair of the NASCIO Data Management Working Group said, “We have hundreds of data sharing agreements that must be managed proactively. We need to provide for periodic review to determine if an agreement should be terminated, or revised based on business needs.

Read the brief at www.nascio.org/publications.

State Chief Information Officer Ed Toner, State of Nebraska, Profiled in NASCIO State CIOs Make a Difference Campaign

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State Chief Information Officer (CIO) Ed Toner is making a difference for Nebraska by leading the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) in their mission of creating opportunities through more effective, more efficient and customer-focused state government.
 
Over the next two weeks, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers will feature the work and accomplishments of Toner and the OCIO in the State CIOs Make a Difference campaign. Nebraska's profile will specifically highlight the state's consolidation efforts, which have led to the elimination of duplicative IT services, lowered costs for the state, and provide ways to expand government services.
 
Learn more about how Nebraska undertook this challenge in 12 months by viewing a brief video on the campaign website,  www.NASCIO.org/CIOsMakeaDifference. Follow @NASCIO and #StateCIOsRock on Twitter for campaign highlights and updates. 
 

State Chief Information Officer Tom Baden, State of Minnesota, Profiled in NASCIO State CIOs Make a Difference Campaign

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Commissioner and State Chief Information Officer (CIO) Tom Baden is making a difference for Minnesota by leading Minnesota IT Services (MNIT), the agency that delivers technology solutions that power the state.
Over the next two weeks, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers will feature the work and accomplishments of Baden and MNIT in the State CIOs Make a Difference campaign. Minnesota’s profile will specifically highlight efforts to secure the state against cyber threats; create possibilities for the state by providing expertise and leadership on how to connect Minnesotans with their government; and ensure an agile, transparent and modern foundation for the state on which IT investment decisions are based and implemented. 
Dive deeper into Minnesota’s priorities by viewing a brief video on the campaign website,  www.NASCIO.org/CIOsMakeaDifference. Follow @NASCIO and #StateCIOsRock on Twitter for campaign highlights and updates. 

NASCIO Launches State CIOs Make a Difference Campaign

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The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) has launched the 2017 State CIOs Make a Difference campaign. The campaign, which will run through mid-June, emphasizes the important role CIOs hold in government operations and the innovative and strategic work they lead.
“Information technology is no longer simply the infrastructure on which state government runs, but is an integral and integrated component in how government imagines, plans and delivers services.” said Mark Raymond, NASCIO President and Connecticut Chief Information Officer.  “IT is the fabric of state government and very often the face of state government. This campaign showcases the substantial and diverse ways state CIOs are making a difference for their states through information technology.”  
Six states – Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Tennessee, California – will be featured in the campaign, each for a two-week period. Videos, narratives and facts specific to each state will be shared at www.nascio.org/CIOs; new content will be added throughout the two-week period. Follow #StateCIOsRock on Twitter and Facebook for campaign updates.
Campaign Schedule:
March 6-17 Minnesota
March 20-31 Nebraska
April 3-14 Wisconsin
April 17-28 Campaign Intermission
May 1-12 Oklahoma 
May 15-26 Tennessee
May 30-June 16 California 

NASCIO Once Again Champions Data Privacy Day

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The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) will take part in celebrating Data Privacy Day by once again becoming a Data Privacy Day (DPD) Champion. Data Privacy Day is held each year on January 28 to commemorate the 1981 signing of Convention 108, the first legally binding international treaty dealing with privacy and data protection. As a committed Champion of Data Privacy Day, NASCIO will promote this international effort to create awareness about the importance of privacy and protecting personal information. NASCIO recognizes and supports the principle that organizations, businesses and government all share the responsibility of being conscientious stewards of personal information by respecting privacy, safeguarding data and enabling trust. 

Data Privacy Day is part of a greater effort, the National Cyber Security Alliance’s (NCSA) #PrivacyAware campaign, which helps consumers understand how they can own their online presence and reminds businesses that privacy is indeed good for business. Data Privacy Day is the signature event in a greater privacy awareness and education effort. NASCIO joins the growing global effort among organizations, corporations, educational institutions, government entities, municipalities and individuals to raise awareness. All DPD Champions will work toward the common goal of improving consumer and business consciousness while encouraging and empowering all digital citizens to be #PrivacyAware.

“Data Privacy Day is the perfect opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of privacy and protecting personal information. We encourage all state Chief Information Officers (CIO) to participate in this international event,” stated West Virginia Chief Privacy Officer and NASCIO Privacy and Data Protection Working Group co-chair Sallie Milam.

In addition to becoming a DPD Champion, NASCIO continues to hold monthly calls with its Privacy and Data Protection Working Group, which was formed last year. This group highlights privacy issues of importance to state CIOs and their teams. The working group is a subcommittee of the NASCIO Cybersecurity Committee.

DPD and the #PrivacyAware campaign are spearheaded by the National Cyber Security Alliance, a nonprofit, public-private partnership dedicated to promoting a safer, more secure and more trusted Internet. For more information about how to get involved in DPD and the Champions program visit https://staysafeonline.org/data-privacy-day/. You can also follow the campaign on Twitter at @DataPrivacyDay or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DataPrivacyNCSA and use the official hashtag #PrivacyAware to join the conversation.

NASCIO Releases Federal Advocacy Priorities: Highlights Need for Strong Intergovernmental Partnership

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The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) announced its 2017 federal advocacy priorities today. NASCIO’s federal advocacy agenda will focus on four issues:

1. State chief information officers’ (CIOs) seek strong intergovernmental partnership on cybersecurity
2. Flexibility in federal funding regulations that encourage legacy system modernization and cloud adoption
3. Information sharing and safeguards: meeting citizen expectations
4. FirstNet: successful implementation of state plans
Fact sheets and additional details on NASCIO’s 2017 federal advocacy priorities can be found at www.NASCIO.org/advocacy.
“NASCIO’s 2017 advocacy priorities reflect the ways in which state CIOs hope to work collaboratively with the federal government. Chief among these priorities is cybersecurity. Protecting public networks and reducing the risk to the digital assets of citizens and government is a shared mission across all levels of government and it is our hope that our federal partners will work with state CIOs to achieve a more secure cybersecurity posture,” said NASCIO President and Connecticut CIO Mark Raymond.
NASCIO’s 2016 Cybersecurity Study data indicates that the biggest challenge to cybersecurity as reported by state chief information security officers (CISOs) is insufficient budgets; this has been the number one challenge since the inception of the NASCIO Cybersecurity Study in 2010. In addition to the lack of funding, state CISOs report that compliance with voluminous federal security regulations redirects scare state resources to compliance activity instead of those that would more effectively ensure the security of state government networks and digital assets.
Given the resource-constrained environment in which state governments operate, NASCIO hopes to work collaboratively with the federal government to introduce flexibility in federal funding regulations that will encourage legacy system modernization and cloud adoption within state governments. Currently, federal funding regulations are promulgated in a “silo” fashion that does not incentivize enterprise solutions.
Scarce resources have also led to increased collaboration between various levels of government including state-to-state and state-to-local. This kind of cross-jurisdictional collaboration highlights the need for effective, efficient, and consistent information sharing and in 2017, NASCIO will work with the federal government to stimulate and incentivize the adoption of the National Information Exchange Model (NIEM).
FirstNet appears again as an advocacy priority in 2017 because this year, governors will be making the decision to opt-in or opt-out of the Nationwide Public Safety Broadband Network. Many state CIOs serve as FirstNet’s Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for the state and all state CIOs serve as a trusted technology and business advisor to their governors. Thus, it is important that FirstNet communicate regularly with states as final state plans are delivered and acted upon.
The association’s federal advocacy priorities for the year are selected by its Executive Committee based on the intersection of the leading policy priorities of state CIOs (available at www.NASCIO.org/topten) and key opportunities to work with Congress and the Executive Branch.

State Government Associations Establish Action Plan for Navigating the IT Purchasing Landscape

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The National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) and the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) have developed an action plan for navigating the ever-changing terrain shaping state procurement efforts and information technology (IT) updates. 

While Chief Procurement Officers (CPOs) and Chief Information Officers (CIOs) have shared interests in working together to improve IT procurement, they face many challenges as states struggle to reform sometimes decades old procurement systems, and at the same time, keep up with the rapid changes of the technology landscape. 

“Leading IT procurement transformation continues to be a priority for state procurement leaders nationally, and NASPO is committed to working with our IT partners to be at the forefront of this effort,” said Larry Maxwell, NASPO President and New Mexico State Purchasing Director.

In demonstration of this collaborative spirit, NASPO and NASCIO convened a joint roundtable in 2016: “Designing for Agility: Advancing IT and Procurement Modernization.” A key outcome of the roundtable was the development of an action plan, setting a vision forward for state CPOs and CIOs to work together to redesign the dimensions of governance and organizational structure, interaction and processes, and budgeting and forecasting.

Mark Raymond, NASCIO President and CIO for the State of Connecticut said, “Technology procurement is truly unique given the rapid changes in technology offerings. NASCIO is proud of the state IT procurement modernization efforts that have already been accomplished by working together, and state chief information officers stand ready to continue collaboration with state procurement officials.”

The action plan addresses several key areas of state government common to both specialties, including:

• Governance and organizational structure

• Teaming and roles

• Interactions and processes

• Budgeting and forecasting

Read more about the joint action plan developed by NASPO and NASCIO by visiting www.nascio.org/procurement.  

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About NASPO

The National Association of State Procurement Officials is a non-profit association dedicated to strengthening the procurement community through education, research, and communication. It is made up of the directors of the central purchasing offices in each of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the territories of the United States. NASPO is an organization through which the member purchasing officials provide leadership in professional public purchasing, improve the quality of purchasing and procurement, exchange information and cooperate to attain greater efficiency and economy. Please visit www.naspo.org for additional information.

About NASCIO

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers is the premier network and resource for state CIOs and a leading advocate for technology policy at all levels of government. N​ASCIO represents state chief information officers and information technology executives from the states, territories, and the District of Columbia. For more information about NASCIO visit www.nascio.org.

AMR Management Services provides NASPO and NASCIO’s executive staff.  For more information about AMR visit www.AMRms.com.

Contact

Jill Midkiff, NASPO
859.514.9830
[email protected]

Kayla Leslie, NASCIO
859.514.9191
[email protected]