Dive Brief:

• This week, Oregon Governor Kate Brown launched a new cyber initiative, Cyber Oregon, on a day that she proclaimed the "Oregon Day of Cyber," according to the Portland Business Journal and others. It builds on the June passage of the law SB 90, which creates more collaborative, unified cybersecurity efforts among state agencies to protect the state's data, and also creates a cybersecurity advisory council.
• The initiative will increase awareness of Oregon's cybersecurity programs, education and resources.
• Cyber Oregon works on the premise that cybersecurity is a shared responsibility between the public and private sectors and cyber defense must be accessible to everyone. A number of public, private and nonprofit stakeholders back the initiative.

Dive Insight:

The Cyber Oregon website posts cybersecurity news, threat levels and event announcements. It also offers training on data analytics software and has a job board for those seeking work in the cybersecurity industry. 

Cyber threats multiply daily in our global, increasingly interconnected society, and Cyber Oregon is a way to prevent breaches and leaks of government data. Ensuring cybersecurity at the local and state levels is a critical element of integrating technology into a city.

This program won't just protect government data, which is in a large part also citizens' data. The initiative will provide wide-sweeping education and guidance on protecting all individuals and businesses from cyber attacks and data breaches.

Security fears are an often voiced citizen concern when cities add technological infrastructure, especially those related to cloud computing. Launching a visible cybersecurity initiative while integrating new technology is a solid way for cities to educate citizens and ease their fears, while also protecting valuable data.