States, tribal nations face shared cyber challenges

Like their varied landscapes, the Cherokee Nation, New Jersey and Texas are at different points in their cybersecurity maturity. At the Aspen Cyber Summit last week, tech leaders from all three jurisdictions said the pressures they face are similar: from persistent information silos to a widened gap between federal mandates and the resources to meet them.

Officials also said those pressures have grown as more cybersecurity responsibility shifts from federal programs to state, tribal and local jurisdictions. The panel at the event included Cherokee Nation Chief Information Officer Paula Starr, New Jersey Chief Information Security Officer Michael Geraghty, Texas Cyber Command Chief Timothy James “TJ” White, and Ann Cleaveland, executive director of the University of California, Berkeley Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity.

Geraghty said the federal executive order issued in March placed more preparedness responsibility on state and local governments but didn’t include additional resources. He described initial frustration, followed by a recognition that the state would need to find ways to expand its existing capabilities.

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