Nine in ten US state technology chiefs fear cyberattacks on critical infrastructure
States are taking on more of the defence of water, hospitals and energy as local bodies run short of staff and money, a NASCIO report finds.
Nearly 90 per cent of US state chief information officers say cyberattacks on critical infrastructure are a high concern, according to a report from the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) and General Dynamics Information Technology, StateScoop reported. Their worries cover water and wastewater systems, hospitals, transport, energy and communications.
Seventy-three per cent said protecting critical infrastructure is part of their whole-of-state cybersecurity plans, an approach in which the state coordinates defence across its agencies, local governments and special districts.
Who is on the front line
Many of the systems Americans rely on are run by local governments, special districts and private companies, which often struggle with small security teams, ageing technology and threats that can now cause physical harm. "We need to go right to the source and ask the folks who control the budgets and the technology," said Mischa Beckett of GDIT, explaining why the survey was done.
The threats are not new, Beckett said, but public awareness has grown sharply in the past five to ten years. Resources have not kept pace.
Why states are stepping in
The report reflects a wider shift. With federal support for state and local cyber defence reduced, states are filling gaps for the water utility or hospital district that cannot afford a security team. The practical tools are shared services: state-run monitoring, incident response and procurement that small bodies can join. They are less visible than new strategies, and they are what most of these organisations actually need.
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