Nebraska Security Project

The cybersecurity implications for Nebraska are real and serious. In 2019, Nebraskans reported 1,350 cybercrime incidents to the FBI. In recent years, public targets of cyberattacks include the City of Beatrice Police, Fire and Rescue; City of Wayne; City of Gothenburg; NRC Health; Great Plains Health; CHI Health Lakeside Hospital; Pawnee County Memorial Hospital; Boys Town National Research Hospital; and Douglas County.

Every enterprise in Nebraska faces shared cyber risks flowing from the malicious exploitation of digital vulnerabilities and thus have a major stake in ensuring the security of its networks, transactions, intellectual property and sensitive data. But Cornhusker enterprises also share a vital interest to enhance cyber resilience and prepare Nebraska to thrive in the digital age.Cybersecurity is a team sport — threats, risks and costs are simply too vast for any organization to tackle alone. Nebraska has a unique opportunity now to bring together business, government and academic leaders to mobilize resources to develop a more resilient and prosperous digital ecosystem.

A strategic public-private partnership to make our state cyber-ready will promote cybersecurity best practices, enable sharing of threat information and secure critical infrastructure and essential services. Moreover, it will help grow Nebraska through game-changing investments in tech education, business and workforce development as well as innovation to stay ahead of cyber threats and keep pace with rapid technology evolution.

Read more about our efforts to boost Nebraska’s economy and security in our September 2020 Omaha World-Herald Op-ed.