Indiana’s progression as a leader, among all states, in cybersecurity is continuing to rise, following the decision by Governor Mike Braun to sign an executive order to continue the work of the Indiana Executive Council on Cybersecurity (IECC), and the adoption of a detailed report highlighting the progress that’s been achieved over the past four years.

Soon after being sworn in as the Hoosier State’s 52^nd Chief Executive, Gov. Braun signed Executive Order 25-10 to continue the work of the Council that was formed in 2016 by Gov. Mike Pence, and continued in 2017 by Gov. Eric Holcomb. The order preserved the Council’s “first of its kind” strategic framework that is centered on a collaborative effort that brings together stakeholders from state and local government, private sector, military, research, and academics for the purpose of enhancing the state of Indiana’s cybersecurity while, at the same time, providing solutions, best practices, and resources necessary for preserving our state’s critical infrastructure.

Earlier this month, the IECC – under the leadership of the chair of the Council, Jennifer-Ruth Green, who serves as Public Safety Secretary and Executive Director of the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) – conducted its first quarterly meeting of the year. Included on the agenda was the presentation of the State of Cyber Report 2021-2024.

Adopted unanimously by the IECC voting members, the 65-page report outlines the results of the 2021 Cybersecurity Strategic Plan, which included 80 identified deliverables and 151 objectives. All told, the Council completed 84 percent of its deliverables and nearly 80 percent of its objectives; a remarkable accomplishment given the fact there are more than 250 advisory members, all of whom serve as volunteers on the Council and its 15 committees and working groups.

Thanks to their contributions and the expertise and knowledge they provide, it represents a savings of millions of dollars annually for all Hoosiers. The second part of the report is a collection of other cybersecurity initiatives that were accomplished – outside of the IECC – throughout the state.

It also includes the history of the Council, as well as a timeline for some of the state’s notable accomplishments in cyber, including the:

• development of a strategy in 2009 by the Indiana Office of Technology that was considered ahead of its time, compared to other states.
• appointment of the state’s first cybersecurity program director in 2016.
• completion (also in 2016) of a uniquely-designed critical infrastructure tabletop and operational exercise – known as Crit-Ex.

In continuing the Council, it assures that the state will be able to keep its focus on supporting the programs that are used to provide protection against the type of cyber threats that, as expressed in the Executive Order, that “…pose personal, professional, and financial risks to the citizens of the state of Indiana and threaten the safety and economy of the state”.

What’s more, many of the resources that are free to download on the Indiana Cyber Hub website including toolkits that are free to download for everything from education and healthcare to cyber insurance, local government, emergency management, and privacy. Additionally, it’s important to keep in mind that many of the deliverables and objectives that were completed as part of the 2018 and 2021 strategic plans were developed at a period of time during which, as a society, we dealt with the impact of a global pandemic, and an unprecedented number of sophisticated cyberattacks in recorded human history.

To learn more about the IECC, visit the Executive Council page on the Indiana Cyber Hub website. While you’re there, you can subscribe to the weekly Cyber Hub Blog, featuring the perspective of cybersecurity experts as they discuss a variety of topics and the latest trends related to the world of cyber!