Missouri shows room for improvement as Trump asks states to accept more cybersecurity responsibility
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - In his latest effort to make the government more efficient, President Donald Trump is pushing some safety measures from the federal level to states; one of those is cybersecurity.
The state could soon be on its own in protecting Missourians against cybercrimes, as President Trump’s latest executive order asks states to take more responsibility for cybersecurity. There are several departments, teams and task forces dedicated to cybersecurity, although not all of them are working at their full capacity.
Xiang Gua, PhD, heads up the IT and Cybersecurity Department at Missouri State University. He said cyber-attacks are increasing with time as technology advances. At the state level that means more chances for delays or disruptions in public services or having your information stolen.
“Cybersecurity for the large part, it is a technical problem, but it’s more of a human problem as well,” Gua said. “So it’s very much like the bad guys, the people with evil intents or bad intents, using those technologies to do bad things. Right? That hasn’t changed for 1000 years. And then as long as there are human beings, there’s good people, there’s bad people.”
Gua feels Missouri is as prepared as most states. It may have outdated hardware or be slow to adopt new technologies.
The Missouri Department of Public Safety said it works with other state agencies and local law enforcement to protect Missourians online.
In an email, a spokesperson said, “Our DPS Office of Homeland Security Cybersecurity Program works to create a more united cybersecurity effort in Missouri. It works with the Office of Administration cybersecurity team along with Missouri fusion centers, SEMA, law enforcement, public/private partners and other partners to prevent, protect, mitigate, respond to and recover from cybersecurity-related incidents.”
DPS said it has not received official word from the federal government about any new responsibilities.
There is only one more year left in a cybersecurity grant program that gives federal dollars to local Missouri municipalities to bolster cyber-safety measures. FEMA awarded $279 million in these grants last fiscal year.
One possible deficiency is Missouri’s Cybersecurity Commission that doesn’t have any members. It was ordered to be created by a law passed four years ago. Eight members need to be appointed by the governor, and the others by various departments.
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