Cybersecurity

The biggest news in artificial intelligence, accessibility, cybersecurity, ed tech, government experience and public safety. Our annual review of the top headlines from 2024 also looks at what’s in store for state and local IT next year.

A so-called “man-in-the-middle” cyber attack last month compromised the city’s transfer of nearly half a million dollars to pay for excavation during a water infrastructure replacement project. The FBI is among agencies investigating.

John Toney, the state’s chief information security officer, has been appointed a visiting fellow by the National Security Institute. Through this position, he will learn from cyber execs, building his knowledge to better serve Vermonters.

As we wrap up 2024, two new reports suggest that Europe and leading African nations share many of the same cyber threats and potential cybersecurity solutions as their U.S. counterparts.

White Lake Township was “a victim of a sophisticated cybersecurity attack,” its police chief said. The incident has compromised a portion of $29 million in infrastructure bond funds. Federal authorities and local police are investigating.

An expert offers insights on how government agencies, frequent targets online, can safeguard critical infrastructure and future-proof their cybersecurity. Also under consideration: artificial intelligence’s dual role in security.

According to city of Odessa officials, state-provided software meant to enhance cybersecurity effectively protected city systems, and staff is now restoring operations using secure backups.

An unprecedented cyber attack, nicknamed Salt Typhoon by Microsoft, has potentially exposed private communications to foreign hackers, with officials saying China has targeted major telecom companies.

The application window for the Federal Communications Commission's cybersecurity pilot program saw requests from schools and libraries in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology has released an updated edition of a publication that covers running a program to measure cybersecurity performance, and choosing what to measure.

The state is broadening a cybersecurity vulnerability assessment program to include water and wastewater utilities. Officials aim to do at least 342 tailored security examinations by 2026 to help local governments.

The president-elect is expected to take a predominantly deregulatory approach to technology, and to aggressively pursue foreign cyber threat actors. He returns to office in a time of international tension in cyber space.

Jason Balderama, a county technology official, has started working as a consultant for the housing authority to coordinate the investigation and advise on how to strengthen its Internet defenses.

A private liberal arts college in Maryland may have to reimburse thousands of people up to $5,000 in “extraordinary losses" after it failed to notify victims of a cyber attack for almost 250 days.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is launching CISA Learning, a new learning management platform to help with cybersecurity training and much more.

A cyber attack on Texas Tech University's health sciences centers in September resulted in access to, or removal of, files containing private data such as names, birthdates, financial accounts and medical information.

GEICO and Travelers, the national insurance companies, will pay the penalties for poor data security. A 2020 cyber attack that leaked data from more than 120,000 New York customers enabled hackers to use that information to file fraudulent unemployment claims.

Denver appointed a new chief information security officer, Merlin Namuth, in October. He is building relationships as the foundation for a people-centered approach to cybersecurity in the city and county.