State Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Executive Director of the Agency for State Technology Jason Allison is making a difference in the lives of Floridians by focusing on best practices, quality and service.

Over the next two weeks, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers will feature the work and accomplishments of Allison and the Florida Agency for State Technology (AST) in the State CIOs Make a Difference Campaign. Allison and AST’s profile will specifically highlight the agency’s impact since its establishment two years ago, and the core principles that guide the agency’s work.

“Our priorities first and foremost are to meet the customer agency’s needs,” said Allison. “Our job is to be there to support them every step of the way. Technology is there to support the business; their successes are our successes.” 

To learn more about Allison and the work of AST, see the information sheet. Visit the campaign website at www.NASCIO.org/CIOsMakeaDifference and follow #StateCIOsRock for campaign highlights and updates.

Today NASCIO members engaged with strategic partners, representatives from Capitol Hill, federal officials from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and FirstNet to emphasize the need for strong partnership between federal and state governments. More than 30 state CIOs and state technology policy officials participated in NASCIO’s 2016 Fly-In, where they had the opportunity to advocate for NASCIO’s 2016 advocacy priorities.

Cybersecurity was a recurring theme at the NASCIO Fly-In where state CIOs discussed the need for a strong federal-state partnership in defending government networks. DHS’s Assistant Secretary for Cybersecurity and Communications, Dr. Andy Ozment spoke to federal cybersecurity resources available to state governments on how state CIOs can take advantage of those offerings. State CIOs also received a DHS briefing focused on lessons learned from the attack against Ukrainian power infrastructure in December 2015.

“Cybersecurity has been a top priority for NASCIO for the past several years.  We are glad to see that DHS and others are willing and eager to partner with us as we continue to address cybersecurity from a multitude of angles,” said Darryl Ackley, cabinet secretary for the New Mexico Department of Information Technology and NASCIO president.

Additionally, as part of NASCIO’s advocacy effort to find flexibility in federal regulations that impact state IT, state CIOs also discussed IRS Publication 1075 with IRS Office of Safeguards Senior Technical Advisor Steve Matteson. IRS Publication 1075 governs the use, inspection, and disclosure of federal tax information commonly utilized by state governments. Rules contained within the publication have sometimes been a hurdle for state CIOs seeking enterprise consolidation and optimization. NASCIO is expected to engage on a more regular basis with IRS Office of Safeguards on the future of IRS Publication 1075.

NASCIO’s annual D.C. Fly-In convenes state CIOs and NASCIO’s federal and strategic partners for a day of advocacy and discussion related to current government affairs priorities: cybersecurity, FirstNet, flexibility in federal regulations impacting state IT and information sharing. It also serves as an opportunity for state CIOs to establish and strengthen key relationships with federal decision-makers.

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) has awarded Ann Barron-DiCamillo, former director of US-CERT, with the association’s 2016 NASCIO Technology Champion award. Barron-DiCamillo was presented the award at the 2016 NASCIO Midyear Conference in Baltimore, Md. for her leadership in advancing information technology as an effective tool for government.

“We are pleased to present the 2016 NASCIO Technology Champion award to Ms. Barron-DiCamillo,” said Darryl Ackley, cabinet secretary for the New Mexico Department of Information Technology and NASCIO president. “Her work with US-CERT embodies the core principles of the award; supporting and promoting the fundamental role IT can play in efficient and effective government operations.”

Under Barron-DiCamillo’s leadership, the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) within the Department of Homeland Security worked to strengthen the nation’s cybersecurity environment through transparency and information sharing. NASCIO supports Barron-DiCamillo’s belief that one person’s detection is another’s prevention and that collaboration is paramount to ensuring the safety of public sector networks.

Learn more about the NASCIO Technology Champion award and prior recipients at www.nascio.org/awards/ntc 

Recognizing that a major cyber-attack can disrupt the business of state government, the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) today released guidance on state government cyber disruption response planning.  Cybersecurity protection, response, resiliency and recovery dominate the agendas of chief information officers, both in the public and private sector. With the reality that a cyber-attack on critical infrastructure is no longer a theory, state governments must be prepared to respond and be resilient. 

“This guide is both a practical implementation document and a call to action for states to develop state cyber disruption response plans,” said Darryl Ackley, cabinet secretary for the New Mexico Department of Information Technology and NASCIO president. “We’ve provided guidance on how to get started and who needs to be engaged. Further, we see this first version as one that will be further developed with input from the states and other stakeholders.”

From the perspective of state information technology leaders, cybersecurity has been on the annual State CIO Top Ten Priorities published by NASCIO since the inception of the list in 2006. Since then, the frequency, magnitude and sophistication of cyber-attacks has continued to increase at an accelerated pace. States must develop, mature and test capabilities for dealing with the aftermath of such events that could disrupt the continuity of government.

“Michigan was an early proponent of cyber disruption response planning and collaboration with key state leaders outside of information technology,” said David Behen, chief information officer for the state of Michigan and co-chair of NASCIO’s Cybersecurity Committee.  “One of the many things we are emphasizing in our NASCIO guidance is collaboration and integration.”

“With support from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, NASCIO is focusing on cyber disruption response planning guidance to help states begin to develop an approach that brings together various agencies such as homeland security, law enforcement, emergency management and the National Guard,” said Doug Robinson, NASCIO executive director.”  “Cybersecurity is a team sport and these partners bring the necessary capabilities for responding to a major cyber event that could have dire consequences.”

The guidance is made up of a three volume set that includes: a report on cyber disruption response planning, a comprehensive checklist and a cross functional process description.  Together these documents provide guidance on governance, communications and operating discipline for cyber disruption response planning.

Read the guidance report at www.nascio.org/cyberdisruption

LEXINGTON, Ky., Thursday, January 28, 2016 — Today the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) announced that it is a committed Champion of Data Privacy Day (DPD) ‒ an international effort held annually on January 28 to create awareness about the importance of privacy and protecting personal information. As a DPD Champion, NASCIO recognizes and supports the principle that organizations, businesses and government all share the responsibility of being conscientious stewards of personal information by respecting privacy, safeguarding data and enabling trust. 

Data Privacy Day is part of a greater effort, the #PrivacyAware campaign, which helps consumers understand how they can own their online presence and reminds businesses that privacy is indeed good for business. NASCIO joins the growing global effort among organizations, corporations, educational institutions, government entities, municipalities and individuals to raise awareness at home, at work and in their communities. Through collaboration and unified, consistent messaging about data privacy, all DPD Champions will work toward the common goal of improving consumer and business consciousness while encouraging and empowering all digital citizens to be #PrivacyAware.

“For states, data privacy is a growing priority as more and more digital data on citizens is collected, shared, stored and analyzed. NASCIO is happy to be a Data Privacy Day Champion again this year and we look forward to focusing more on this issue in the coming year,” stated NASCIO Executive Director Doug Robinson.

In addition to becoming a DPD Champion, NASCIO has formed a new Privacy and Data Protection Working Group which will highlight privacy issues of importance to state CIOs. The working group is a subcommittee of the NASCIO Cybersecurity Committee. The new working group will have monthly calls on various topics related to privacy and data protection.

DPD and the #PrivacyAware campaign are spearheaded by the National Cyber Security Alliance, a nonprofit, public-private partnership dedicated to promoting a safer, more secure and more trusted Internet. For more information about how to get involved in DPD and the Champions program visit https://www.staysafeonline.org/dpd. You can also follow the campaign on Twitter at @DataPrivacyDay or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/DataPrivacyNCSA and use the official hashtag #PrivacyAware to join the conversation.