North Carolina State Budget Makes Historic Investment in Cybersecurity and Digital Readiness

North Carolina's new state budget takes decisive action to enhance the security and efficiency of government services with substantial investments in cybersecurity, data management, and health information exchange.

The approved budget allocates:

• $18 million in new recurring funding and $42 million in non-recurring funding for critical cybersecurity upgrades
• $25 million in non-recurring funding is earmarked for modernizing data management systems
• $3.8 million for the N.C. Health Information Exchange Authority

These investments are crucial to the continuity of government operations. As more residents and businesses depend on government digital services, ensuring security and reliability is imperative.

The new recurring cybersecurity funding will support ongoing efforts to protect against threats such as data breaches and ransomware. Nonrecurring funding will allow immediate systems upgrades to safeguard services and prevent disruptions.

"This budget recognizes that cybersecurity is foundational to safe, reliable government operations," said Nate Denny, N.C. Department of Information Technology Secretary and State Chief Information Officer. "This is not a one-time expense; protecting North Carolina's data and systems requires an ongoing commitment. I thank Governor Josh Stein and members of the House and Senate for this historic commitment."

Together, these investments represent a comprehensive strategy to secure public data, modernize government service delivery, and strengthen the resilience of state systems and infrastructure.