CYBERSECURITY STRATEGY

State of Vermont

CYBERSECURITY

STRATEGY

Prepared by:

The Cybersecurity Advisory Team (CAT)

March 2019

www.vermont.gov

Message from the Governor

Technology has become a necessity for business and

government. That is why I created the Cybersecurity Advisory

Team and tasked them with developing a cybersecurity strategy.

This work is a critical component of meeting the strategic goals

of my Administration.

• Growing the Economy: With increased cybersecurity

awareness, education and capacity, our businesses can

continue to grow and thrive. Tackling these challenges

provides us with an opportunity to expand Vermont’s

workforce with next-generation skillsets that will create an

in-demand population of workers across agencies,

sectors, and industries to strengthen our economy.

• Making Vermont More Affordable: We will use this strategy as our roadmap to bolster

cybersecurity in support of modernizing state government. Through public-private

partnerships, we will not only create new job opportunities in Vermont but will also

protect the investments made in our critical assets, infrastructure, services, and personal

information - driving down cost through greater collaboration, information sharing, and

preparation.

• Protecting the Most Vulnerable: In partnership with federal, state, and local

governments, private businesses, non-governmental entities, and academic institutions

we will promote awareness of the threat that cybersecurity risks pose to our families and

way of life. We must protect our state’s most vulnerable citizens – a responsibility that

extends into cyberspace and the unique challenges we face.

We must all be proactive, embrace the digital age, and make cybersecurity a part of our

everyday lives.

I want to thank my Cybersecurity Advisory Team for their hard work and dedication in putting

together a strategy that will guide us in protecting valuable assets.

Philip B. Scott

Governor

www.vermont.gov

I. Executive Summary

The Cybersecurity Advisory Team (CAT) is charged by Executive Order 18-17 to develop a

strategic plan, evaluate statewide cybersecurity readiness, build relationships and lines of

communication, and build strong partnerships that help protect the data, information systems,

and privacy of State government, Vermont businesses, and the public. The CAT is

additionally charged to identify and advise on opportunities to enhance the workforce, raise

citizen awareness, provide training and technical capabilities, provide expertise to assist the

State Legislature with statutory language, budgetary impacts, and engaging State and

Federal partners as it relates to cybersecurity.

Increasingly sophisticated attacks of advanced complexity attempt to breach and cause

damage to systems representing an ongoing threat to the State’s economy, critical

infrastructure, and privacy. Inaction has a cost that can be measured financially, through loss

of confidence our institutions, and by exposing the private information of our citizens. The

potential harm must be taken into account, and our constituents must be aware of the threats.

Our State already has kicked-off initiatives to address some of our risk. The implementation

of a Security Operations Center (SOC) and updates to the State Emergency Operations Plan

are examples of this. The team used the model of the National Institute of Standards and

Technologies – Cybersecurity Framework (NIST CSF), a set of guidelines and best practices

to reduce cybersecurity-related risk, to facilitate prioritization and ensure alignment with other

sectors. The purpose of this document is to assist with the identification and implementation

of new initiatives through the following pillars:

• CYBER CAPABILITY (NIST CSF - Protect & Detect) - Improve Vermont’s digital

security through increased knowledge, enhanced workforce development, and

improved technology to protect and defend against, as well as reduce the risk of, future

cyber-attacks.

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• CYBER RESILIENCE (NIST CSF - Respond & Recover) - Increase Vermont’s ability to

respond to and recover from cyber incidents. Decrease potential disruption, financial

impact, intellectual property loss, and violation of privacy.

• CYBER COMMUNICATION (NIST CSF - Identify) - Expand Vermont’s communication,

coordination, and awareness between entities such as state and local government

agencies, businesses, and citizens to improve understanding of risk.

• CYBER EDUCATION - (NIST CSF – Protect) Build strong partnerships with local

universities and colleges to enhance cyber education of Vermonters enabling the

improvement of cyber capability, the expansion cyber communication, and the

increased cyber resilience.

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II. Introduction

STATEMENT OF INTENT

To achieve success with this strategy, the CAT has assigned roles and responsibilities to the

stakeholders affected by this initiative and outlined next steps to take toward implementation.

Participants ranging from State government to the business community to the citizens of

Vermont must all do their part to bring about the goals above. Effective coordination and a

team effort is required to meet the listed objectives. Follow-through is necessary to take the

strategic principles from this document and create operational plans that support this strategy.

Identifying gaps, assessing risks, and determining the resources to accomplish the principles

some of which may be realized in the short-term or some may take years to achieve.

The means of potential attack vary from phishing attempts to implanting malicious malware in

individual or networked computer systems. This can impact individual homes, corporate

business systems, government agencies, or critical infrastructure that sustains life and

provides for the essential functions of government. Larger scale regional or national attacks

could shut down essential services, the impact of which could be catastrophic to all who live,

work, or play in Vermont. The consequences of unchecked cyber dangers are diverse and

serious, and they represent a threat to the daily life of all Vermonters.

Though the majority of security breaches result from external actors, a significant percentage

are caused by insiders that may manifest as user error, poor security practices, or intentional

harm. These can include accidentally published information, lost backup tapes or laptops, or

failure to secure devices in the possession of ex-employees. Some result in theft or

destruction of data. Many security issues that impact the citizenry can be avoided through

basic security hygiene, education, and security controls.

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COST OF INACTION

The severity of potential harm and the fact that no one is immune must be heard loud and

clear. Those involved in protecting the security and well-being of our state must act. The

public and private sectors must commit fully to the growing cyber threat reality. Strategies

and action plans need to be developed by the state, individual agencies and private entities.

The Cybersecurity Strategy for the State of Vermont must deliver effective capabilities and

outcomes that will allow Vermonters to realize the benefits and competitive power that will

come from living in a safer, more cyber-aware state.

HISTORY OF CYBER INCIDENTS IN VERMONT

The following are recent high profile cyber incidents that occurred in Vermont over the past

several years:

In June 2017 two of Vermont's biggest businesses, the University of Vermont Medical Center

(UVM) and Global Foundries, were significantly affected by phishing attacks. Hackers

attempted to break into these business information systems.

At UVM Medical Center, the email accounts of two employees were accessed by third parties

after the employees accidentally opened phishing messages that mimicked an official

company communication. This was the first time the email system was penetrated in this way

despite thousands of prior daily phishing attempts.

An attack using a virus at Global Foundries infected a number of manufacturing tools at the

microchip facility in Essex Junction, and some tools were taken offline to isolate the attack

and prevent the virus from spreading.

In March 2017 the Vermont Department of Labor reported a data breach on the standalone,

web-based database, America’s Joblink Alliance (AJLA) that is shared by ten states, including

Vermont. A system modification implemented in October 2016 created a vulnerability in the

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system. The breach compromised as many as 182,000 accounts in Vermont and 4.8 million

accounts across ten states. The breach potentially exposed personal information, including

name, date of birth and social security number. For Vermont, these are accounts entered into

Vermont Joblink over a 14-year period. Some users voluntarily register, and others are

required by VDOL to register for the program.

A March 2017 a Vermont Digger article reported that Vermont is a consistent target for cyber-

attacks and in the first two months of 2017 the Vermont state government faced:

• 65,000 malware phishing attacks

• 90,000 remote scans – attempts to identity targets for attack

• 575,000 other “digital bombardments.”

In December 2016 it was reported by the Washington Post that hackers affiliated with the

Russian government had penetrated the United States electric grid by attacking the

Burlington Electric Company in Vermont. The story was originally illustrated with an image of

the headquarters of a Russian spy agency, which it alleged was behind the intrusion. Months

later, FBI investigators reported that the attack was not validated and that the internet traffic

that raised the red flag may, in fact, have been harmless.

The Vermont Intelligence Center, whose goal is to identify patterns and indicators of

cybercriminal and terrorism-related activity in the State of Vermont, has tracked thousands of

cyber-attack incidents in Vermont and during 2017 recorded the following breakdown:

• 58% - Ransomware & malware attacks (Botnet attacks)

• 27% - Computer compromises or network penetrations

• 13% - Data Breaches

• 2% - Web defacements

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CURRENT STATE

Most cyber incidents are unreported or are undiscovered. A February 2018 article by the

New York Times headline reads: “An ‘Iceberg’ of Unseen Crimes: Many Cyber Offenses Go

Unreported”. This article summarizes its findings with the following: “In a sense, technology

has created an extraordinary moment for industrious criminals, increasing profits without the

risk of street violence. Digital villainy can be launched from faraway states, or countries,

eliminating physical threats the police traditionally confront. Cyber perpetrators remain

unknown. Law enforcement officials, meanwhile, ask themselves: Who owns their crimes?

Who must investigate them? What are the specific violations? Who are the victims? How can

we prevent it?

III. Strategy

SCOPE OF STRATEGY

The Cybersecurity Advisory Team has developed a strategy document that encompasses all

Vermonters who live, work, and play in the state. This work includes education, research and

best practices developed and implemented in other states, the federal government and other

countries. Vermont agencies have participated in multiple working groups including the

National Governors Association and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

Region 1 cyber working group.

The State and local government strategy will be a multi-facetted approach encompassing the

following goals.

• The State of Vermont will use an enterprise wide approach to secure and make

resilient the State of Vermont’s cyber infrastructure and data.

• The State will deliver an improved response to the growing area of cybercrime and

cyber breaches which will include

consequence management.

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• Vermont will leverage and capitalize on the growing cybersecurity job market through

education, workforce development, and economic development.

• Vermont will focus on education and outreach to all sectors, including the public, to

create a more resilient Vermont.

• Local government will be incorporated into this strategy recognizing that most

resources at a local level are extremely limited.

The State of Vermont will achieve these strategic goals by prioritizing the accomplishment of

the following objectives:

State and Local Government in Vermont:

• Focus State government agencies on cyber prevention, protection, response and

recovery.

• Establish a risk management framework to apply resources that are informed by an

assessment of cybersecurity vulnerabilities and cybersecurity threats.

• Identify state and local cybersecurity gaps and develop mitigation strategies.

• Support continuing efforts relating to cybercrime interdiction and disruption as it affects

Vermont, partnering with local, federal, and other state entities.

• Enhance the State’s cyber threat intelligence network to support continued situational

awareness and information-sharing for state, local, and private sector stakeholders in

Vermont.

• Develop a cyber-awareness campaign to educate state and local government, the

private sector businesses, and the citizens of Vermont.

• Build a cybersecurity education pipeline through increasing STEM programs in the K-

12 educational system and providing support for K-12 cyber-focused extracurricular

activities.

• Establish partnerships with Vermont’s higher education community in creating

certificate programs for cybersecurity education programs.

• Build marketing and economic development strategies to attract citizens into a

cybersecurity workforce in support of Vermont government and industry.

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• Develop a business plan for exporting these skills to other jurisdictions through

telecommuting opportunities.

In addition to the state and local governments, there are several other groups that this

strategy will impact. The state will actively seek their participation in the development of

governance and the necessary operational discipline to implement the strategy. To develop a

comprehensive “all of Vermont” operational plan, the State of Vermont will work with the

following groups. For each of these group, there are a set of specific and relevant objectives.

Critical Infrastructure Stakeholders in Vermont:

• Engage critical infrastructure owners and operators in cybersecurity strategies to

enable continuity of operations and resource sharing.

• Foster continuous response and recovery improvement through state, local, and

critical infrastructure exercises focusing on cyber incident consequence management

capabilities.

Private Sector in Vermont:

• Initiate outreach programs to develop partnerships with Vermont businesses.

• Identify business cybersecurity needs and opportunities to share best practices.

• Coordinate prevention, response planning, information sharing and resiliency

initiatives.

• Engage the private sector to develop solutions to risk management resource

challenges.

• Develop strategies to increase cybersecurity business opportunities in Vermont.

• Engage private sector partners in continued cybersecurity emergency exercises and

improvement planning.

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Citizens of Vermont:

• Initiate outreach programs to educate Vermont citizens on cybersecurity protection

principles and resiliency, cybersecurity awareness and best practices.

MISSION AND VISION

The first steps of developing a strategy is to define our mission and vision. Our mission

defines our purpose and primary goal. The effect of a mission statement is to ensure all

parties understand the purpose of the Cybersecurity Strategy for the State of Vermont.

Our vision statement focuses is where we want to be and what we want to become in the

future. It is our dream. The ideal end state that captures the goals and aspirations.

MISSION

To Improve Vermont’s Cybersecurity.

VISION

A cyber secure and resilient Vermont where it is safe to

live, work, and play.

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STRATEGY

To achieve our vision, the following strategic principles have been set.

CYBER CAPABILITY (NIST CSF- Protect & Detect)

Improve Vermont’s digital security through increased knowledge, enhanced workforce

development, and improved technology to reduce the risk of future cyber-attacks.

The pace of development of technology is increasing and access to computing power is

transcending our entire society. We engage technology for even the most basic tasks and to

make our lives easier, safer, and faster. This rapidly changing environment of technology

also makes the cyber-criminal or hacker more effective as they mechanize their tactics and

techniques. The omnipresence of technology creates a permanent surveillance culture with

less privacy. With all the benefits to our lifestyles that is brought by technology we must

remain ever vigilant as it makes us more vulnerable to compromise. As the technology

develops, we must continue to focus on the foundational and unique elements of our free and

open society as we build the necessary and interrelated frameworks in law, policy, and

technology. This requires us to evolve not only the technology but also our understanding of

the related benefits and risks of such technology. Risk assessments of any technology must

include a predictive analysis that identifies the potential for exploiting the technology itself, or

the vulnerabilities of the technology, for malicious intent.

Nationally we are experiencing a severe shortage of cybersecurity professionals at all levels.

Existing sources of education and training are not producing the entry-level talent. Job

openings require advanced skills and experience. The workforce development gap exists in

the cybersecurity field specifically but also in awareness across our enterprises. The reality

of our present engagement and use of technology means that we as individuals must remain

ever vigilant for ourselves and our institutions. We must strive to be perfect in our defense

with the understanding that an attacker only needs one flaw or hole. This requires an

awareness of the risks, threats, and vulnerabilities of our technologies for all users. Basic

“cyber hygiene” and cyber awareness is required of all citizens.

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Response to this crisis will require a portfolio of efforts that include: attracting more college

students into this career field; engaging students in our K-12 programs; creating pathways for

veterans and mid-career professionals to enter the cybersecurity field; developing and

experimenting with innovative programs, internships, and apprenticeships to staff these

essential functions; supporting the development and rollout of cyber awareness education at

all levels from Pre-K through senior citizen to be safe and aware of online risks. Local

Vermont organizations, such as CyberPatriot and GirlsGoCyberStart, have already

demonstrated a commitment to building technical skillsets and cyber awareness in the youth

of our state. These programs, and others like them, should receive our full support and are to

be commended for shaping the next generation of cyber-savvy Vermonters.

We cannot solve the shortfall in workforce and secure our populace with education and

training alone. Technology continues its rapid development and at the same time increased

malicious and criminal intent flourish. The technology that connects our lives and increases

our productivity is used to create a better phishing email or exploit. We must foster the

development of secure systems and practice building security into our technology at

conception and not bolted on as an afterthought. Inspecting our existing technologies for

flaws and keeping our technology current is critical as our adversaries become more

sophisticated and prey upon systems that fall behind. In this environment, we should also

understand the policies and requirements to attract cybersecurity research and development

activity. Building an active capability in cybersecurity research and development within our

higher education institutions and supporting partnership with the private sector and federal

government is a significant growth opportunity for Vermont.

CYBER RESILIENCE (NIST CSF – Respond & Recover)

Increase Vermont’s ability to respond to and recover from cyber incidents. Decrease potential

disruption, financial impact, intellectual property loss, and violation of privacy.

Vermonters need to be prepared to identify, respond and recover from cyber threats. If you

use technology at home, work or when you engage in some level of play, ask yourself the

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following questions: What would you do if all of your computers and smartphones were

encrypted by Ransomware? Do you know if your business is currently breached by a criminal

hacker? Do you have a plan in place to deal with these issues?

Our societal reliance on technology is a true testament to how important cyber resilience is.

Can you go a day or even a week without technology? How about your place of employment?

If there is a disruption in a small businesses’ network/website, it may cause significant harm

to not only productivity but revenue. Criminals are compromising business assets and

capitalizing on the sale of information. According to the 2018 Verizon Data Breach Report,

76% of all data breaches were financially motivated. No sector in Vermont is immune to the

threat.

We need to decrease the potential for cyber disruption by educating Vermont on good cyber

hygiene. What happens if your personal information is leaked online? How about if your most

confidential files at work were now public or for sale on the cyber black market? Do you have

a plan? Response from these types of attacks requires proper planning so you can quickly

recover from the incident. Identifying key personnel and who is accountable for said activities

is also critical. The last thing you want is to be in the middle of an incident and trying to

answer questions like:

“Who is responsible for securing our most important files?” and

“When was the last time we changed the password to our administrator account?”

Creating a good cybersecurity culture that promotes cyber resilience is key because without it

we don’t stand a chance against financially motivated attackers. We must start with

education of our children in K-12. We must continue ongoing education of our citizens as

they enter higher education and the job market. Every sector of the economy must invest in

ongoing education of its employees, constituents and customers. Such education must

continue to evolve, keeping pace with the ongoing development of new technologies,

identification of new vulnerabilities, discovery of new strategies employed by cyber criminals,

and emerging trends in cybersecurity.

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Proactive cybersecurity monitoring will save money and reputational capital if your

organization finds itself the victim of a cyber-incident. According to Forbes, costs averaged

$3.86 million per breach in 2018. The costs typically include legal, forensics, breach

notification, and fines by regulators if you are found negligent.

Vermont businesses have worked very hard developing their intellectual property. We are

very proud to have organizations that hold patents and trade secrets that they use to develop

their products and grow their business. For this reason, Cyber Resilience has become a

critical business capability that employs cybersecurity controls and procedures to protect

intellectual property and sustains a business’s ability to operate.

Privacy violations may involve the loss of regulated data, such as health or personally

identifiable information. Such information must always be secured. When an organization

possesses personally identifiable information, they must understand that they have been

entrusted with one of the most precious assets of our citizens –

their personal information

That position of “trust” requires, and even demands, the implementation of appropriate Cyber

Resilience measures. Data, and information created from that data is essentially the life blood

of government and business. It must be properly managed and protected. When that data

and information constitutes personally identifiable information there is a higher order of

responsibility and accountability for protecting it.

CYBER COMMUNICATION (NIST CSF- Identify)

Expand Vermont’s communication, coordination, and awareness between entities such as

state and local government agencies, businesses, and citizens to improve understanding of

risk.

Cybersecurity today is a team sport with private sector, government, and law enforcement

sharing information and working together to defend, respond, and recover. Responding to

this challenge is the development of Cybersecurity Information Sharing activities. Federal

statute creates an environment where diverse institutions can share best practices,

understand the threats, and prepare to respond and recover. An Information Sharing and

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Analysis Organization, ISAO, should be developed to meet this critical need. Vermont should

create an Integrated Public-Private program for information sharing in the state. The ISAO

should perform cybersecurity and threat information sharing and analysis engaging the public

and private sector organizations to meet the cybersecurity crisis. We must develop a local,

state trust-based threat and incident information sharing capabilities that can network

nationally and support local businesses and government. The ISAO will build a local

constituency that includes partnerships with the private and public sectors. The purpose of

this ISAO will be to share alerts and threat information, provide updates regarding the status

and severity of any threat, and provide assistance to ISAO members related to response and

recovery. Over time as the ISAO matures in terms of governance and operations it will gather,

analyze, and disseminate critical infrastructure information, for the expressed purpose of:

• Sharing Cyber Threat Analysis and Information

• Conducting risk-based analysis

• Assisting in access to resources

• Developing incident response guides and playbooks

• Planning and conducting exercises to assess and improve response and recovery

• Sharing best practices

• Developing operational discipline for cyber disruption response planning

This center should build upon resources available nationally from Information Sharing and

Analysis Center, such as the Multi State-ISAC (MS-ISAC), the Department of Homeland

Security National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC), the

National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO), and others. The State

activity will offer a more flexible and responsive to local requirements of information sharing

activities among private-public across sectors. This activity will foster collaboration and

facilitate the development of trust- based relationships which are essential for effective and

efficient cybersecurity information sharing and building a more resilient state.

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CYBER EDUCATION (NIST CSF – Protect)

Build strong partnerships with local universities and colleges to enhance cyber education of

Vermonters enabling the improvement of cyber capability, the expansion of cyber

communications, and the increased cyber resilience.

Vermont has a robust higher education sector with significant expertise in computing,

technology, and cybersecurity. Higher education institutions are actively engaged in our

communities supporting K-12 education, local government and non-profits. We need to fully

leverage these partnerships to build the cyber workforce, protect our critical infrastructure,

defend our local municipalities, and ultimately create a more resilient Vermont. With

imagination and creativity, we will collaborate with higher education to put in place a pipeline

of talent to bring college interns and graduates into this mission. The benefits for students

and graduates include an entry point into a rewarding career in cybersecurity and an

opportunity to gain experience working on real world incidents. The benefits for government

and industry include the creation of an ongoing pool of talent that will bring fresh ideas to

problem-solving and qualified individuals able to fill the many roles in cybersecurity.

Vermont is in a unique position with two nationally recognized Centers of Academic

Excellence in Cyber Defense Education (CAE-CDE), as designated by the Department of

Homeland Security and the National Security Agency. Champlain College and Norwich

University are leaders in cybersecurity education and actively engage in cybersecurity efforts

within the state and beyond. These two schools, working individually and in concert, have

developed programs that support law enforcement, small businesses, municipalities, and

state government in becoming more secure. Building on these partnerships provides

competency-based education opportunities for students, professional development and

research for faculty, and qualified cybersecurity services for the communities they engage.

Encouraging and enhancing these partnerships will help meet our workforce requirements

and entice graduates to stay in Vermont.

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IV. Roles and Responsibilities

The organizations listed below have the responsibility to remain active and engaged in

implementing this strategy. Effective coordination and a team effort are required to meet the

objectives of this plan. Participating organizations have been chosen for their unique roles or

expertise in one or more of the strategic objectives.

Cybersecurity Advisory Team -

The Cybersecurity Advisory Team will lead the effort to

coordinate communications, projects and programs for fulfilling this strategy. At its discretion,

the Team may create inter-agency working groups for planning and operations.

State Government

- State Government will participate in the efforts of the Cybersecurity

Advisory Team by providing personnel and resources to lead and support those efforts. State

Government will facilitate initiatives for achieving the desired outcomes of this document, and

lead the development of strategic partnerships with Federal, State, Local, and Private

organizations. State Government will review project plans and provide feedback regarding

timing and staging of projects as well as technical and financial feasibility.

VIC/Fusion Center

- The Vermont Intelligence Center (VIC), in conjunction with the Fusion

Center, will provide information trending of the cybersecurity threat landscape and advise the

Team on capabilities that exist between the State and external agencies and federal

partners. VIC and the Fusion Center will engage in contact and consultation with external

agencies and federal partners to leverage their capabilities that may support this strategy.

Other State & Local Agencies -

Other State Agencies may be called upon when there is a

requirement for their subject matter expertise or when the Team believes that direct

coordination with one or more agencies will further the goals of this document. Just as with

any other significant event that impacts the State, it is also critical that state agencies are in

alignment and working together to develop solutions related to cybersecurity. Coordination of

state-level response and recovery to all hazards occurs within the Multi-Agency Coordination

System housed at the State Emergency Operations Center. Agencies are directed to muster

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their resources and work under a unified structure to maximize the efforts and ensure a

coordinated response to mitigate the impacts and to return state government to a normal

state as soon as possible. It is important that the local governments become educated about

cybersecurity prior to an event and build this into to their emergency planning. Local

governments must know in advance who to contact and the various means for making that

contact when they suspect a potential cybersecurity event. It is important to anticipate that in

a significant cyber event, such as a cyber disruption, normal channels of communications

may be compromised or completely unavailable. Other Agencies should coordinate and align

their cybersecurity strategies to this document.

Higher Education

- Higher Education has been given responsibility for educating the next

generation of cyber professionals. Commensurate with that responsibility, higher education is

duty bound to engage their communities with expertise, outreach, and problem-solving to

make Vermont more resilient. Higher Education must continue to develop its capabilities and

programs to evolve with the threat and technology horizons, providing the talent to meet

cybersecurity challenges. Higher education must engage with K-12 education developing

interest in the field and building awareness in the students and faculty.

Business Community

- The business community, which collects increasing amounts of citizen

data such as credit card information, social security numbers, or biometric information, must

take reasonable measures to safeguard the information in its control, be mindful of the

information it is collecting, and comply with all laws regarding data security and data breach

notification.

Vermont Citizens

- The public at large has a responsibility to enact basic safety measures to

protect themselves, to educate their children and monitor the activities of vulnerable relatives,

including senior citizens, and to stay abreast of active scams and threats.

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V. Next Steps

To successfully accomplish these cybersecurity strategy principles there are several steps the

Cybersecurity Advisory Team must take. First, the CAT needs to understand the current

security state of the various entities in Vermont. This review could include review of

technological assets, configurations, polices, security controls, prior audits, vulnerabilities and

other auditable aspects of cybersecurity. The goal is to understand where gaps exist, then to

prioritize and close those gaps. The emphasis must be on predictive analysis in order to stop,

limit, and mitigate future cyber-attacks.

The gaps identified during the review will then be part of an assessment to determine which

gaps pose a high risk to their organization or to the state. Next, the CAT will develop

objectives to mitigate the risk and close the identified gaps.

Many of the listed activities will be included in operational plans to be executed by some or all

the groups listed under Roles and Responsibilities.

Some of the projects and initiatives created may deliver near-term outcomes. Other initiatives

may have durations of many years and or may operate continually. The CAT will maintain

responsibility to ensure that progress is tracked through meaningful metrics and reporting.

A lack of sufficient funding is the number one challenge states face, according to a study by

NASCIO and Deloitte. Vermont is no different. The Governor, Legislators, State IT Leaders,

Education, and Businesses must become strong advocates for funding cybersecurity. As we

rely more on technology, we must unite in the commitment to effectively and proactively

manage our cyber risks.

Historically Vermont’s security budget has not been adequately funded to keep pace with

technological advancements or the growing sophistication of threats. We recommend a

subcommittee made up of Government and Private Industry experts to establish different

methods of funding, based on the goals put forward in this strategy document. We expect a

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blend of federal, state, and local funds, combined with private investment, to support future

cybersecurity initiatives across the state.

VI. Conclusion

From Executive Order to strategy development, the Cybersecurity Advisory Team (CAT) has

executed the charge given; to identify the strategic principles of cyber capability, cyber

resilience, cyber communication, and cyber education as the core for building a strategy to

protect data, information systems, and privacy of State government, Vermont businesses,

and the public. Through describing the principles that guide strategy and operations;

assigning roles and responsibilities for execution of this strategy; and identifying future

actions, the CAT anticipates plans will be developed and actions taken toward the

accomplishment of this strategy. Successful execution of this strategy will make significant

strides towards building a Vermont that continues to be a safe and secure place to live, work

and play.