From Compliance to Resilience: Rethinking Cybersecurity Metrics in State Government

Abstract

State government cybersecurity programs predominantly rely on compliance-based metrics that fail to capture true security effectiveness or alignment with public service missions. Traditional measurement approaches emphasize regulatory adherence and procedural completion rather than operational outcomes, creating dangerous gaps between compliance achievement and actual cybersecurity resilience. The disconnect becomes evident when organizations with strong compliance ratings experience significant cybersecurity incidents that compromise citizen services and public trust. This article proposes a comprehensive resilience-based metrics framework that shifts focus from regulatory checkbox completion to measurable outcomes across four critical pillars: preparedness, detection, response, and recovery. The framework integrates infrastructure hardening assessment, threat identification capabilities, incident management effectiveness, and service restoration efficiency to provide holistic visibility into cybersecurity performance. Implementation requires systematic transformation of measurement infrastructure, governance processes, and organizational culture while addressing challenges including cultural resistance, technology gaps, and skills development needs. The proposed measurement approach maintains regulatory compliance requirements while expanding evaluation scope to encompass mission-critical security capabilities essential for protecting citizen services and maintaining public trust. Expected benefits include improved risk posture through data-driven capability development, enhanced public confidence through demonstrated security effectiveness, and optimized resource allocation that concentrates investments on high-impact capabilities. Integration opportunities with broader digital government transformation initiatives create synergies that maximize implementation efficiency while supporting comprehensive modernization objectives.