IE 11 Not Supported

For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers.

Can CIOs Get the Money They Need for Cybersecurity?

Three CIOs weigh in on whether they have the resources for effective cybersecurity approaches.

A few years ago, the case for robust cyberprotections was hard for public-sector technology officials to make. Competing priorities, budget constraints and a lack of awareness of cyberthreats on the part of policymakers limited investments in cybersecurity.

At the annual National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) conference this week in San Diego, Government Technology asked state chief information officers what the funding picture looks like now when it comes to cybersecurity. Utah CIO Mike Hussey recently opened a small-scale multi-agency cybercenter, but as he explains below, he could still use more resources to protect the state's assets. 



California CIO Amy Tong sees room for improvement when it comes to how the nation's most populous state approaches cybersecurity. She's focused on working with agencies to adopt a more proactive security stance, funding security "as a preventative cost."



"I would love to say that we could fund everything we wanted to, and I don't know necessarily that anybody can," said Louisiana CIO Dickie Howze. He's encouraged by the recent formation by Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards of a public- and private-sector cybersecurity commission, on which Howze serves. This increased focus, he believes, will ultimately drive more funding to the state's cyberefforts.



Noelle Knell is the executive editor for e.Republic, responsible for setting the overall direction for e.Republic’s editorial platforms, including Government Technology, Governing, Industry Insider, Emergency Management and the Center for Digital Education. She has been with e.Republic since 2011, and has decades of writing, editing and leadership experience. A California native, Noelle has worked in both state and local government, and is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, with majors in political science and American history.