Shad White’s office finds nearly a third of state agencies fail cybersecurity requirements

JACKSON, Miss. (VDN) —According to Mississippi State Auditor Shad White, a third of state offices are at risk of cybercrimes due to not meeting cybersecurity assessment requirements according to a report released yesterday, Tuesday, Oct. 7.

Auditor Shad White stated in the release, “Part of our role in my office according to state regulations is to report on whether agencies have followed the steps to protect themselves from hackers. This report should be a loud warning bell to state officials.”

According to the report, analysts at the State Auditor’s Office, working in conjunction with the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services, found nearly one third of state agencies have not met a legal requirement to conduct a comprehensive, third-party cybersecurity assessment. Agencies must hire an outside firm to test their system for weaknesses. State agencies which fail to follow the cybersecurity program exposes critical government operations to unnecessary risk.

Recently, Mississippi government offices have been victims of cybercrime, such as the following:

• In July 2025, an online meeting of the Mississippi Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Council, hosted by the Attorney General’s office, was hacked.
• A data breach in late 2024 disrupted the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District.
• A 2023 ransomware attack on Hinds County disrupted government services and prevented citizens from registering vehicles or completing real estate transactions. The attack cost taxpayers at least $600,000 to resolve.

The release urges state agencies who are not in compliance to engage IT professionals to ensure their agency is following state law.

The full report can be found here.