Newly signed legislation in Mississippi will create a statewide security operations center (SSOC) based in the Department of Information Technology Services (ITS).
Gov. Tate Reeves signed SB 2654 into law this month, enabling the SSOC’s creation and establishing its role, responsibility and oversight. This is enabling legislation that doesn’t include funding. The executive director of ITS, however, will have oversight, and the SSOC will complement the existing enterprise security program.
Sen. Bart Williams, who chairs the state technology committee, co-sponsored the bill. In introducing it, he said that cybersecurity deficiencies are among the biggest threats facing the state. Creating the center within ITS avoids duplication and allows for more unified services, Williams also said, and it’s all in line to boost ongoing efforts to support cybersecurity for local governments and education.
The center will handle security monitoring, threat detection and incident response. The law requires agencies to follow statewide security standards and report incidents; gives state officials authority to enforce compliance; and enables coordination with state and federal partners. Collaboration with public universities and community colleges will help create a cybersecurity talent pipeline.
The state already requires state agencies to meet basic cybersecurity requirements, but a 2025 audit showed that a third of state agencies had not met enterprise security program conditions — an improvement from 2019, when 65 percent either failed or did not report. To address gaps, ITS and the cybersecurity group have expanded outreach and contracted with service providers to help agencies access security and risk assessment services, CISO Jay White told Government Technology last year.
Several states have stood up state SOCs within their IT agencies. Nevada is in the process of doing so, while Kansas and California have more mature operations. Other SOCs based in universities and colleges can be found in Arizona, Louisiana, Florida, Texas and South Carolina, among other places. SOCs not only offer cybersecurity support for educational and community stakeholders, but they also serve as training grounds for the next generation of cybersecurity pros.
