StateRAMP Now Called GovRAMP to Better Reflect Mission

On February 14, StateRAMP’s Executive Director Leah McGrath announced StateRAMP’s rebrand to GovRAMP. According to the press release, the change reflects StateRAMP’s “continued commitment to unifying cybersecurity standards across all levels of government, from municipalities to federal agencies.” The organization plans to keep StateRAMP as the legal name but operate as (dba) GovRAMP. In the press release, J.R. Sloan, President of StateRAMP, explained, “Our mission remains the same—advancing trusted cloud security standards—but our name is evolving to better reflect the community we serve. With GovRAMP, we are reinforcing our commitment to unify cybersecurity standards across all levels of government while ensuring no member feels left out.”

According to the StateRAMP website, StateRAMP provides a standardized approach to assessing and authorizing cloud services. StateRAMP empowers government agencies and their vendors to navigate the complexities of cloud security with confidence.

How the Federal Funding Freeze Affects States

During the February 13 podcast from NASCIO, the hosts tackle how the federal funding freeze affects state programs. Specifically, Amy Glasscock and Alex Whitaker from NASCIO Voices look at the impacts on the Cybersecurity Grant Program, as well as on state IT offices. They delve into the funding model used by states to fund the CIO office, for example, and how the funding freeze potentially impacts that. Whitaker explains that many questions remain, and they continue to monitor the impacts to states.

According to the podcast description, NASCIO Voices interviews guests to get their perspectives on state information technology, leadership and lessons learned.

Mississippi Ranks 13th in State Occupational Licensing Index

Mississippi ranks number 13 overall for all states and Puerto Rico in the 2024 State Occupational Licensing Index from the Archbridge Institute and the Knee Regulatory Research Center; the score places the state 13th among states for the highest occupational licensing burden. Besides the overall ranking, the report also features a state profile ranking that puts states in one of five quintiles. Mississippi ranks two in the quintile system, with one the “most occupational licensing” and five the “least occupational licensing.” The quintile system reviews several factors, including barriers and licenses, along with universal recognition reforms. The licensing index, released in August, contains information on 284 occupations.

Other overall rankings include Washington at number 14.

Find out how your state ranks in the latest edition of the State Occupational Licensing Index.