As we come together to celebrate National Cybersecurity Awareness Month in October, the Hoosier State is continuing to go “all in” when it comes to protecting its citizens whenever we’re online, whether we’re paying our utility bill, looking for tips to protect our kids, or safeguarding the power grid or water supply that we rely on within the community where we live.

Highlighted by the proclamation issued this week by Governor Mike Braun, the State of Indiana recognizes that it has a vital role in identifying, protecting its citizens from, and responding to cybersecurity threats that may have a significant impact on our individual and collective safety and privacy.

At the same time, because our critical infrastructure is increasingly reliant on information systems and technology to support financial services, energy, telecommunications, transportation, utilities, health care, and emergency response systems, it recognizes the fact that cybersecurity education and awareness are crucial for all of us as part of our everyday life.

In an effort to capitalize on that commitment, Indiana is uniquely positioned as a nationally recognized leader in cyber governance thanks to two resources that are unlike any that can be found in many other states – the Indiana Cyber Hub website and the Indiana Executive Council on Cybersecurity.

Indiana Cyber Hub

If you’re reading this blog, you’ve already discovered our website, which features a wide range of free cybersecurity resources, best practices and tips. Moreover, the information is   provided by trusted sources from both the public and private sectors and is intended to help all Hoosiers build on their understanding about cybersecurity, broaden their awareness, and learn more on how to protect ourselves, whether we’re at home, at work, at school, or we’re online, engaging with others on social media, or checking the balance on our checking account.

Divided into six primary sections, including Business, Government, Education, Individual, Assess Yourself, and Report a Cyber Incident, the Cyber Hub features dozens of links for everything from the Indiana Cybersecurity Scorecard that an office manager, executive, or IT manager can use to start a conversation about the cyber readiness of an organization to several different free-to-download toolkits involving education, healthcare, cyber insurance, and privacy, among others.

What’s more, there are links to guide parents and families on tips for safely using the Internet, as well as information related to pursuing a career in cybersecurity, and on a broader scale, a Cyber Threat Sharing page, with information that can help an organization identify, assess, monitor, and respond to cyber threats, including those posed by Nation State Actors in China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia.

The content on the Cyber Hub website is regularly updated and it also features a weekly blog, featuring the perspective of trusted and knowledgeable experts, as they discuss topics related to the latest trends, threats, and issues surrounding cybersecurity. If you’re interested in learning more about how cybersecurity is influencing our world, including here in Indiana, you can subscribe at no cost by signing up today.

Indiana Executive Council on Cybersecurity

The state’s cyber strategy first began in 2009 and continued through 2016, with the

completion of a unique critical infrastructure tabletop and operational exercise — known as Crit-Ex. From there, Indiana has continued to assert its leadership in cyber governance.

Working from these foundational achievements — along with the recognition that securing Indiana’s information technology infrastructure and industrial control systems is beyond the reach of any single entity — the Indiana Executive Council on Cybersecurity was formed, through an Executive Order by Governor Mike Pence in 2016. Soon after that, it was followed by Indiana’s decision to hire its first, fully dedicated cybersecurity program director in March 2017 to help facilitate the Council in fulfilling its purpose.

The IECC is unlike any government organization of its kind. And the progress that has been made is remarkable, given the fact that much of its work was accomplished, initially, amid a global pandemic and during a time of an unparalleled number of cyber threats and attacks that occurred from 2021 through 2024. From its inception in 2017 through September 2025, more than 400 people have served as advisory members of the IECC and all of whom have done so entirely as volunteers; saving taxpayers millions of dollars in their service as Council members.

Following on the successful completion of two, three-year statewide cybersecurity strategic plans in 2018 and 2021, the IECC, earlier this year, presented to Gov. Braun, a 65-page report, entitled the State of Cyber Report 2021-2024.  As part of its work, the IECC completed 84 percent of its 80 identified deliverables and 79 percent of the 151 objectives. The achievement included 11 new deliverables and 17 new objectives that were added to the 2021 Indiana Cybersecurity Strategic Plan that was originally presented to Gov. Holcomb in October 2021.

Now, as the IECC continues with its mission, in 2025, it has adopted a new vision to “organize, train, and equip all Hoosiers with cyber resilience”, with the intention of identifying and completing a new set of deliverables that, in turn, is expected to lead to the adoption of even more cybersecurity policies and initiatives that are designed to provide Hoosiers with the opportunity to increase their awareness for all things cyber.

Among the deliverables that are being planned for include:

• Conducting a tabletop exercise involving hospitals and healthcare providers in East Central Indiana.
• Authoring a series of blogs -- written by experts in banking -- alerting consumers to potential cyber threats related to Bitcoin ATMs and artificial intelligence.
• Outreach effort to students, who are gamers and participate in esports to consider a career in cybersecurity.

The deliverables will be discussed as part of an upcoming IECC quarterly meeting on October 31^st, with these activities to be included as part of a statewide cybersecurity strategic plan in 2026.

To continue with the cyber celebration, the IECC is supporting CISA with its cyber awareness campaign. Entitled “Building a Cyber Strong America”, the messaging is centered on highlighting the need to strengthen the country's infrastructure against cyber threats, ensuring resilience and security. Additionally, CISA is joining again with the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA) “Stay Safe Online” campaign, which is all about the simple ways to protect yourself, your family and your business from online threats.

With all of these free resources, the opportunity exists for all of us to do what we can – wherever we are – to be safe and more secure whenever we’re online. And that’s a reason to celebrate, right?