Indiana Governor Mike Braun announced Friday that the Indiana Department of Homeland Security (IDHS) will establish a new Office of Cybersecurity, an effort to coordinate the state’s defenses against digital threats before an attack happens.
“We are not going to sit around hoping a cyberattack doesn’t happen,” Braun, a Republican, said in a release from IDHS announcing the move.
The new office will be established within IDHS as part of what the department described as “a new phase” for Indiana’s protections against cyberattacks. It follows the closure of the Indiana Executive Council on Cybersecurity, the advisory body that previously helped shape the state’s approach to digital threats.
According to the governor’s announcement, the office is designed to coordinate Indiana’s government agencies, allowing them to collaborate more easily to prevent attacks and respond when incidents occur. Officials said it will also strengthen coordination and collaboration between state agencies and external stakeholders to prevent and recover from cybersecurity incidents, with the structure laid out in a proclamation issued by the governor. The office is expected to serve as a central point of contact for local governments, utilities and critical infrastructure operators across the state.
The move comes as state and local governments across the United States face a rising wave of cyber threats. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warned this week of a significant escalation in attacks on water system devices, with incidents reported in seven states including Minnesota, and federal investigators are examining whether Iranian state actors were involved. Security firms have also documented increasingly sophisticated campaigns targeting public-sector networks, from ransomware deployments to espionage operations against government agencies.
Indiana has been tightening its cyber posture in recent months. Earlier this month, state officials drew scrutiny after quietly removing a public transparency tool, a decision they said reflected cybersecurity concerns, according to reporting by the USA Today network.
The new office places Indiana among a growing number of states that have consolidated cybersecurity functions into dedicated operational units as ransomware attacks and state-sponsored intrusions against public agencies have multiplied. State networks are considered attractive targets because they hold sensitive citizen data and often run aging infrastructure with limited security staffing, and a breach can disrupt services ranging from driver licensing to Medicaid payments.
The announcement, which came on a Friday afternoon release from IDHS, did not specify a timeline for standing up the office or name its future director. The governor’s proclamation formalizing the structure is available online through the state’s official channels.
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