State, local government cyber’s ‘new normal’

“A lot is going on” with state and local government cybersecurity in 2026, said Carlos Kizzee, senior vice president of MS-ISAC strategy and plans at the Center for Internet Security. He told the Priorities Podcast that he thinks government is going through yet another transition to a “new normal”: “A lot of our jurisdictions in the state, local, tribal and territorial community are adjusting to reduced funding, in some areas, increasingly sophisticated threats, both cyber and all-hazards.” Despite recently switching to a paid-membership model, CIS has seen fewer than 200 of its nearly 3,000 members apply for hardship discounts, an “absolutely phenomenal outcome,” he said. Joining him on the podcast was John D. Cohen, executive director of office of strategic programs and initiatives at the Center for Internet Security, who said the organization is working with law enforcement agencies and chief information security officers around the country, to help them meet cybersecurity threats moving “at internet speed.”

This week’s top stories:

Former California chief information officer Amy Tong has retired from state government. Tong, whose most recent role was as a senior counselor to Gov. Gavin Newsom, capped a 30-year career in public service.

Tarek Tomes, Minnesota’s CIO, has also stepped down, accepting a role as CIO with the University of Minnesota. Tomes spent nearly seven years with the state government.

In Pennsylvania, CIO Bryanna Pardoe recently shared how her first months in the role have been going after spending two years leading the state’s digital services efforts. She said she wants to bring that experience to the CIO role.

New episodes of StateScoop’s Priorities Podcast are posted each Wednesday. For more of the latest news and trends across the state and local government technology community, subscribe to the Priorities Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts,Soundcloud or Spotify.