Sponsored content contributed by AOC Business Partner: Covenant Technology Solutions
Counties don’t need a “perfect” cybersecurity program to make meaningful progress—they need a roadmap that fits real life: limited staff, tight budgets, and services that can’t pause.
Here’s a simple 3-stage approach we use with Oregon counties to move from uncertainty to steady improvement—without turning every meeting into a fire drill.
- VISIBILITY (Know what you’re protecting)
- Confirm your “crown jewels”: email, finance/payroll, public safety systems, records, and backups.
- Run a baseline check: exposed credentials/dark web, email spoofing risk (DMARC), and basic security posture.
- Make sure you know who has admin access—and why.
- HARDENING (Shut the easy doors)
- Lock down identity: strong MFA + conditional access, remove stale accounts, tighten admin roles.
- Patch what’s most exploited first: internet-facing systems, remote access, high-risk devices.
- Ensure backups can restore—test one critical restore, not “someday.”
- CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT (Stay ready)
- Set a cadence: weekly alert review, monthly access review, quarterly tabletop exercise.
- Track leadership-friendly metrics: restore success, downtime avoided, phishing risk reduced.
Quick win for January: schedule a 30-minute “Crown Jewels + Admin Access” review. It’s the fastest way to reduce risk and clarify priorities.
Want the full roadmap? Read the expanded guide here: https://covenant-tech.net/blog/county-cybersecurity-roadmap-2026/
Want to see how this roadmap maps to a structured solution? Explore Fortify.