By Sid Salter
Columnist
Cyber attacks, including data breaches and hacking, are increasingly common.
Cybersecurity is a costly and evolving field where law enforcement and government
officials compete against skilled criminals who use technology to cause disruption and
chaos.
These crimes aren’t limited to large cities and large companies in international financial
centers. On April 19, OCH Regional Medical Center made public what they called a
“recent” (?) data breach that on Sept. 6, 2023 exposed what they first said was “as
many as 67,000 files.”
That figure was later amended to reflect that “unauthorized individuals gained access to
51,266 files in OCH’s possession” and that the breach wasn’t discovered until Sept. 14,
2023.
The point here is not to skewer OCH but to clearly point out that we are all susceptible
to cybersecurity attacks and that well-meaning business, governmental, and even
sometimes military officials struggle to stay ahead of the criminals.
The expense of cybersecurity is exorbitant and growing. Total spending for U.S.
government, military, and private sector cybersecurity efforts for the current fiscal year
is estimated to be around $27.5 billion. Global spending on cybersecurity is forecast to
increase to $377 billion annually by 2028.
On March 19, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that shifted some of
the responsibility from the federal government to states and localities to improve their
infrastructure to address risks, including cybercrimes.
Mississippi, unlike some 22 states, is deemed prepared for these changes structurally
and is surprisingly well-regarded nationally in terms of cybersecurity planning and
infrastructure.
The Mississippi Cyber Initiative was established in 2021 to position the state as a leader
in the field and identify cyber issues as a stabilizing force in the state’s existing
economy as a jobs creator for the state’s future economic development particularly on
the state’s Gulf Coast region.

In 2023, the Mississippi Department of Public Safety established that the Mississippi
Cyber Unit, a component of the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security, would be the
state’s centralized cybersecurity threat information, mitigation and incident reporting and
response center.
In January, construction of a 100,000-square-foot building began on Keesler Air Force
Base that serves as the headquarters for the MSU-led Mississippi Center for Cyber &
Technology to enhance state and federal cybersecurity capabilities. The state-of-the-art
facility and collaborations that will support community and military needs as well.
Gov. Tate Reeves said: “The Cyber Center will strengthen Keesler’s mission to train
cyber warriors, and it will serve as a hub for academic achievement and economic
development for cyber, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other technology
companies and agencies. In short, the future is here in Mississippi.”

Sid Salter is a syndicated columnist. Contact him at sidsalter@sidsalter.com.