The National Cybersecurity Center (NCC) has launched a new initiative, Cybersecurity for Government Leaders, aimed at training all government leaders on cybersecurity best practices.
The revamped program – previously known as Cybersecurity for State Leaders – has offered no-cost trainings in all 50 states and several territories since 2021, and trained more than 1,300 state leaders.
“In our outreach to state leaders in 2021, we were bombarded with requests from government leaders at the local level to join the trainings,” said Jonah Wisch, program director at the NCC. “Looking forward to 2023, Cybersecurity for Government Leaders will continue the important mission to secure the frontlines of democracy by helping government leaders arm themselves and their staff with best practices to safeguard against cyber threats.”
The program is a partnership between NCC and CSG West, and will provide NCC’s members with nonpartisan trainings to prepare members to be vigilant against cyber threats. The trainings will educate participants on the ecosystem of cybersecurity, common types of cyberattacks, and best practices on how to protect individuals against cyber threats.
“CSG West is excited to continue partnering with the NCC and MS-ISAC [Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center] to offer cybersecurity training and best practices to Western legislators,” Edgar Ruiz, CSG West director said. “This policy area is dynamic and complex and there are many newly elected officials who can benefit from this opportunity. It is very important for state legislators to walk the fine line of security and overregulation. We value NCC and MS-ISAC’s expertise and insights on these critical issues.”
According to NCC, the trainings will include participation from national figures in security from both the public and private sector, including representatives from Google, IBM, Microsoft’s Defending Democracy Program, and more. Additionally, NCC is also partnering with MS-ISAC and the Center for Internet Security to update the curriculum to include content related to MS-ISAC services and offerings available to all government leaders.
“The persistent cyber threat to our government institutions presents a significant financial and operational risk to state and local government entities, and we want them to know that there are many no-cost and low-cost solutions available through the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) to enhance their cybersecurity protections, as well as a community of their peers sharing best practices,” said Karen Sorady, vice president for MS-ISAC Member Engagement at the Center for Internet Security.
The program is currently open for registration with trainings scheduled from March to May. Additional trainings will be added to the program.
