To strengthen cybersecurity, local governments need to get over their skepticism, Indiana CIO says

Indiana Chief Information Officer Tracy Barnes said local government leaders express a wide range of emotions when it comes to cybersecurity initiatives: excitement, mundane interest, suspicion, but mostly — skepticism.

“They’re skeptical, they’re excited, they’re paranoid, but they’re interested in cybersecurity training initiatives, Barnes told StateScoop this month at the National Association of State Chief Information Officers midyear conference in National Harbor, Maryland. “But as they started to see more and more folks adopting get on board, and some of the skeptics start to kind of turn and open their minds a bit more, and they also start to see more of that push from the legislative body as well.”

Barnes said strengthening cybersecurity in local government loses momentum when local leaders push back for fear of a surveillance state. But when he encounters resistance, Barnes said, he reminds the skeptics that Indiana’s technology department is there to provide support.

“We have no desire to police and manage and maintain footprints across the entire scope of local governments in Indiana,” Barnes said. “But we do have the ability for the size, the engagement, the relationships with vendors, and such, to bring good products at a table reading, and good resources that they can take advantage of.”