Cybersecurity

The moves aim to bolster higher ed cyber training, narrow workforce gaps and open access to services for municipalities, small businesses and nonprofits. Two campuses will open SOCs and cyber ranges in 2023 and 2024.

A consortium of Western Massachusetts colleges and universities has received a $1.46 million state grant to establish a security operations center and cyber range at Springfield's Union Station.

The city of Saint Paul, Minn., has appointed a new director/CIO and a new deputy director/CISO within the Office of Technology and Communications to shape the city’s technology work and cyber initiatives.

Conversations with Chinese and South Asian residents and new University of Texas research revealed how trusted community forums WeChat and WhatsApp can be used to spread misinformation about politics and elections.

Cyber summits were held this past week in Michigan and Kansas, and hot topics ranged from workforce development to ransomware to growing global cyber threats. Here’s a rundown.

When state and local government suffers a cyber attack, officials are faced with a dilemma: How much is the public entitled to know? How much can you reveal while keeping systems secure?

The County Elections Administration was approved to purchase several pieces of election software. The $42,800 purchase will be made with money from $120,000 the county received under the Help America Vote Act with a county match.

North Carolina CIO Jim Weaver and former Washington CISO Vinod Brahmapuram explain obstacles and tips and tricks for states looking to better collaborate with local partners and extend cybersecurity support statewide.

A recent report from the Government Accountability Office criticizes the U.S. Department of Education for not sufficiently coordinating communication between school districts and the feds on cybersecurity.

A social media post by "Karakurt" threatens to release personal student information. The Illinois district has warned employees that their information may have been compromised, although it said nothing about students.

Cybersecurity services company Steel Root is relaunching its $10,000 scholarship to benefit a high school junior in Massachusetts looking to pursue higher education in the field of cybersecurity.

Montgomery County Community College will use a federal grant to boost certificate completion rates, transfer rates to four-year institutions, and student interest in employment in science, technology and defense.

Cleveland Metropolitan School District Principal Jim Greene believes Gaggle has saved student lives, monitoring indications of problems from inappropriate social media use to bullying, self-harm, violence or drugs.

Arizona CISO Tim Roemer shared his philosophy about motivational cyber awareness training, the importance of getting assertive with vendors and why state CISOs need to keep talking to each other.

Midland Police Department is conducting an investigation along with other law enforcement agencies after a ransomware attack took place recently against the Midland Information Technology Consortium.

After the Indianapolis Housing Authority suffered an early October ransomware attack, Section 8 landlords report not getting paid and question whether their personal data was compromised.

Soft skills are essential to good cybersecurity — a lesson Erik Avakian has learned over the course of his more than 12 years as chief information security officer for the state of Pennsylvania.

State auditors found 16 areas of concern at Western Connecticut State University, including that it did not sanitize electronic storage devices in a timely manner nor adequately document their disposal.