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Leading Without Blame: How Psychological Safety Strengthens County Cyber Resilience

Tuesday, August 11, 2026 |  3:00 p.m - 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time

The most damaging breaches in county government rarely begin with a sophisticated exploit. They begin with a person — someone who is stressed, overloaded, or afraid to raise a hand. For counties defending elections, courts, emergency services, and water systems,  with lean teams and tight budgets, the way leaders build culture and trust is one of the highest-leverage security controls they own.

This panel brings county leaders together to explore how psychological safety, authentic leadership, and a culture of belief — not box-checking — drive real cyber resilience. Panelists will share candid, on-the-ground perspectives on moving from performative compliance to operational commitment, treating people as the strongest control rather than the weakest link, and using AI to sharpen human judgment rather than replace it.

Key takeaways:
  • Psychological safety is a security control: teams that feel safe report incidents faster, conceal less, and recover more quickly from mistakes.
  • Resilience is built on commitment and belief, not checkbox compliance — and elected and appointed leaders set that tone from the top.
  • AI is a tool to enhance human judgment, not replace it; counties succeed by pairing a strong culture with practical guardrails.

*Hint: DO NOT use your own email if you are registering someone else. You must use the email of the person who will attend. It will also help to use the email that receives NACo correspondence (i.e. your county or organization email).​

If you have any registration questions, please email nacomeetings@naco.org.