Shad White’s office finds nearly a third of Mississippi’s state agencies fail cybersecurity requirements

Stephanie Cunningham reports:

According to Mississippi State Auditor Shad White, a third of state offices are at risk of cybercrimes due to not meeting cybersecurity assessment requirements according to a report released yesterday, Tuesday, Oct. 7.

Auditor Shad White stated in the release, “Part of our role in my office according to state regulations is to report on whether agencies have followed the steps to protect themselves from hackers. This report should be a loud warning bell to state officials.”

According to the report, analysts at the State Auditor’s Office, working in conjunction with the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services, found nearly one third of state agencies have not met a legal requirement to conduct a comprehensive, third-party cybersecurity assessment. Agencies must hire an outside firm to test their system for weaknesses. State agencies which fail to follow the cybersecurity program exposes critical government operations to unnecessary risk.