FAIRFAX COUNTY VIRGINIA
CREDIT: JOHN M. CHAS VIA GETTYIMAGES foundation that Michael says ensures the county keeps ahead of emerging threats.
“ We’ ve moved from a reactive mindset to a risk-driven, enterprisewide approach,” he explains.“ Our programme is embedded in county operations, from procurement and budgeting to continuity planning, so cybersecurity isn’ t an afterthought; it’ s part of how we do business. We use data-driven insights and continuous assessments to inform priorities, rather than chasing headlines.”
The county is also prioritising Zero Trust cybersecurity principles in a way that is scalable and sustainable for the public sector.
“ We know we can’ t do everything at once, so we prioritise core capabilities – identity, access, resilience and visibility – which have broad impact across our ecosystem,” Michael says.“ We’ ve also built a cross-agency, collaborative environment that makes cybersecurity everyone’ s job, not just the security teams. That’ s allowed us to lead regional efforts, influence national policy discussions and share what works with peers across the country.”
He adds:“ We’ re embracing innovation responsibly. We’ re focused on building a future-ready programme that supports digital transformation while keeping our residents safe, informed and confident in their local government.”
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