Florida’s Local Government Cybersecurity Act: Third-Party Review Benefits

With the passage of Florida’s Local Government Cybersecurity Act, municipalities across the state are under pressure to meet new standards to protect sensitive systems, data, and community operations from cyber threats.

But understanding the law is just the beginning. To confidently defend against threats, third-party cybersecurity assessments are essential.

Objective validation of compliance with Florida’s Local Government Cybersecurity Act

Even the most experienced internal IT teams can miss weakness and security gaps when reviewing their own environments. A third-party cybersecurity assessment brings:

• Independent, unbiased validation of your current cybersecurity posture
• Gap analysis directly aligned with the requirements of Florida’s Local Government Cybersecurity Act and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), or other preferred control framework.
• Verification of your employee training program, incident response procedures, and after-action report readiness reviews
• Prioritized recommendations tailored to the size and resources of your municipality

An external perspective helps your compliance strategy not just be technically accurate but also effective and actionable.

Compliance isn’t a document — it’s a discipline

Florida’s Local Government Cybersecurity Act mandates more than written policies. It requires clear, consistent execution. A third-party assessment can evaluate the extent to which:

• Adopted cybersecurity standards are being followed across departments
• Incident notification protocols meet the required reporting windows outlined in the act
• After-action reporting accurately reflects lessons learned
• Cybersecurity training is role-specific and recurring as required

These aren’t one-time tasks; they are ongoing responsibilities.

Spotting blind spots before cybercriminals do

A cybersecurity consultant brings technical experience and outside perspective needed to uncover what may be overlooked, including:

• Outdated software or systems
• Weak password and authentication practices
• Misconfigured backups or insecure cloud storage
• Inadequate vendor and contractor access controls

Florida’s Local Government Cybersecurity Act requires proactive threat identification, which starts with identifying the unseen.

From compliance to confidence

Meeting the minimum requirements of Florida’s Local Government Cybersecurity Act is just the beginning. The real goal should be to create confidence in your municipality’s ability to prevent, respond to, and recover from cyber incidents.

A third-party assessment can give your leadership, staff, and constituents peace of mind your cybersecurity practices are capable of detecting and responding to potential cybersecurity threats.