Nebraska’s Office of the CIO (OCIO) is planning to consolidate its cybersecurity capabilities through a cybersecurity information sharing and advisory center (ISAC), providing a centralized hub to share critical cyber threat data with public entities across the state.
Cybersecurity threats are anticipated to rise and grow in sophistication with each passing year, driven by the advent of emerging technologies such as AI and increasingly complex viral packages. Foreign cyberattacks have surged in recent years, with many targeting critical infrastructure and gaining access to sensitive information culminating in millions of dollars in damages.
Nebraska is among the latest states to adopt a whole-of-state cybersecurity framework in an effort to counterbalance anticipated federal funding losses. The planned ISAC will combine the capabilities of the Nebraska Information Analysis Center (NIAC) and the Joint Security Operations Center (JSOC), enabling the ISAC to share massive amounts of cyber threat data with other state and municipal organizations.
The point is to build a network that operates as a whole rather than a set of distinct parts. The OCIO is operating under the understanding that a single attack on a public entity impacts the entire state. Since not every public entity has access to the same resources, some are liable to be more vulnerable than others and compromise the holistic cybersecurity integrity of the state at large.
“The reason why we’ve been exploring creating our own ISAC is because we recognize that cybersecurity cannot be addressed effectively agency-by-agency or jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction,” said Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Bryce Bailey. “Nebraska has very diverse public-sector environments, and we have state agencies, counties, municipalities, public safety organizations, educational service units, higher education and other public-sector organizations. They don’t all have the same resources or cyber capabilities.”
The office’s vision involves pulling from existing resources and capabilities across multiple agencies to facilitate fast, comprehensive communication. The plan calls for leveraging NIAC’s communication channels, the OCIO’s networking and the JSOC’s operational advantages. Eventually, the ISAC will distribute tailored scopes of information based on what each entity specifically needs, as well as potentially establishing regional ISACs for interstate coordination.
Establishing the ISAC is part of the state’s broader move to re-evaluate how it incorporates federal grant funding into its budget. With two major federal cybersecurity programs closing this year, Nebraska is one of many states that can no longer rely on reliable funding to sustain programs. “Federal funds should be used to accelerate programs and/or plant the seed to help develop a program,” said Bailey.
This perspective is guiding the office’s efforts to better manage federal funding as Nebraska shifts toward self-reliance for cybersecurity frameworks and systems. When combined with its whole-of-state approach, the OCIO intends to garner more value from federal grants, reduce costs and improve the accessibility and impact of available cybersecurity tools.
Photo by Tuấn Nguyễn Văn from Pexels
For more of the latest from the expansive government marketplace, check Government Market News daily for new stories, insights and profiles from public sector professionals. Check out our national contracting newsletter here.
