(DES MOINES) – Today (Monday), Gov. Terry E. Branstad and Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds were joined at the Administration’s weekly press conference by the State’s Chief Information Officer Bob Von Wolffradt and the Director of the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management Mark Schouten in announcing the first ever Iowa Cybersecurity Strategy.

On Dec. 21, 2015, Gov. Branstad signed Executive Order 87 which directed executive branch agencies to work together to develop the Iowa Cybersecurity Strategy by July 1, 2016. The Cybersecurity Strategy was completed and presented to the governor’s office by July 1, as required. By implementing the recommendations outlined in the strategy, Iowa will be better able to not only respond to cybersecurity events, but also proactively mitigate risks for its citizens and government operations.

The Office of the Chief Information Officer was the lead agency in this effort and was assisted by the Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the Iowa Communications Network, and the Iowa National Guard. The State of Iowa Cybersecurity Strategy details the steps the State of Iowa needs to take to increase our resilience to cyberattacks. The strategy primarily focuses on lifeline critical infrastructure sectors, such as energy, transportation, and communication, and state government as it relates to the protection of digital government services and citizens.

The strategy also outlines recommendations in the areas of risk assessment, implementation of best practices, awareness training for state employees, public education, collaboration with the private sector and educational institutions, STEM education and training programs to foster an improved cybersecurity workforce, data breach reporting and notification requirements, and updating Iowa’s emergency response plan to specifically deal with the physical consequences of a cyberattack on our state’s infrastructure.

Hard copies of the Iowa Cybersecurity Strategy were handed out to reporters at the press conference. However, the strategy is currently being finalized for publishing online and the governor’s office will send out a press release when the online version is published.