Governor Branstad’s chief information officer says state government is at moderate risk of attack by hackers and other malicious operators on the internet, and a new cybersecurity strategy should help mitigate that risk.
The threat is everywhere all the time
Robert von Wolffradt says state government is concerned about the kind of attack on the Department of Revenue in South Carolina that exposed social security and credit card numbers for thousands of taxpayers.
He says the new strategy includes a comprehensive analysis of risk and how to mitigate it.
“The governor is now getting a report card by agency so the legislature will see what kind of risks each agency has,” von Wolffradt says.
He says the legislature will delve into the budgetary restraints on funding everything we possibly can for cybersecurity.
He says across state government, the threat is everywhere all the time.
“From an employee perspective they may receive email with malicious content,” he says. “We want them to get the best training, what not to click on, how to report it.”
Governor Branstad says he has consulted with Shazam, the Iowa-based electronic funds transfer company.
People don't want to talk about their vulnerabilities.
“They deal with cyberattacks all the time,” Branstad said.
Banks deal with the threat all the time.
“People don’t want to talk about their vulnerabilities,” Branstad said.
Officials are updating the state's emergency response plans to address potential cyberattacks on physical infrastructure like power grids and water systems.
Schools and libraries across the state will get training on how they exchange information.