By Chetrice Mosley-Romero

Just as an architect uses a blueprint as the foundation for a skyscraper or a school, Governor Eric Holcomb, on January 9, 2017, affixed his signature to a three-page document – Executive Order 17-11 – providing the groundwork for the Indiana Executive Council on Cybersecurity (IECC) to continue its work and implement a cybersecurity program for all Hoosiers.

In less than five years, the IECC’s achievement is defined by what it is today; a government council unlike any organization of its kind in the nation, both in terms of its first-of-its kind strategic approach and the unprecedented achievements, as defined in the State of Cyber Report (2017-2021). The results of the work completed by the Council’s 20 committees and working groups are included in the report in an easy-to-read format that spells out exactly what’s been accomplished from September 2018 to October 2021.

As the Cybersecurity Program Director of the State of Indiana, I am especially proud of the Council, the progress it has achieved and what it represents for all Hoosiers. In particular, it is our academic, military, private and public partners whose contributions have firmly positioned Indiana as a leading state in cybersecurity.

Divided into two distinct parts, the 50-page document reveals the history and the direct success of the IECC since its relaunch in 2017. More than 350 members were responsible for the research, planning, implementing, and evaluating the 2018 Indiana Cybersecurity Strategic Plan; the results of which are represented in the report.

• The Council completed 78 percent of its 69 deliverables and 77 percent of the 120 objectives.
• The membership – comprised of a cross-sector group of subject matter experts – donated hundreds of hours and millions of dollars in services and resources to Hoosier individuals, governments, and businesses.
• All of the deliverables are spelled out in the report in an easy-to-ready format that accounts for all the progress made by the Council from 2018 to 2021.

The second part is a collection of the many amazing cybersecurity programs and initiatives that are going on throughout Indiana. It is a sampling of the projects, but it highlights how important cyber is, as a part of our everyday life, and the significance it holds as a priority here in Indiana. There is a little bit of everything in cyber occurring throughout the Hoosier state – from what’s going on in our colleges and universities to public and private sectors and industry trade associations and organizations.

Additionally, the report highlights other resources that have been developed over the past four years, including our Cyber Hub website that includes a blog, as well as a list of the most-visited pages on our site and some of the most popular, free cyber resources, such as our Indiana Scorecard and Emergency Manager Cybersecurity Toolkit.

You are invited to download the State of Cyber Report (2017-2021). To learn more about the Council, visit: www.in.gov/cybersecurity/executive-council.

Of course, not unlike the architect, whose projects often include new additions to a building or a school that adds space to serve more students, the Council is continuing in its charter to build on the foundation it created to provide an even stronger cyber posture for all of Indiana.