State auditor finds widespread cybersecurity gaps across Washington state and local governments

The Washington State Auditor's Office presented its fiscal 2025 cybersecurity audit results to the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Committee on Oct. 5, saying audits of seven state agencies and 52 local governments found hundreds of security vulnerabilities and incomplete implementation of widely recommended safeguards. The auditor reported 227 vulnerabilities at the seven state agencies, including three rated critical and 21 rated high; penetration tests at seven local governments identified roughly 300 vulnerabilities, including nine critical and 47 high. "Protecting IT systems and data is important today as ever before," said Steven, a cybersecurity auditor at the State Auditor's Office, during the presentation. The audit results matter because state and local IT systems underpin essential services and are attractive targets for ransomware, social engineering and nation-state activity, the auditors told the committee. The State Auditor's Office (SAO)…