President Biden signed the fiscal year (FY) 2022 omnibus appropriations bill today that will keep the Federal government funded through Sept. 30.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams and New York Governor Kathy Hochul, along with the mayors of Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Yonkers, unveiled the new Joint Security Operations Center (JSOC) to bolster New York State’s ability to combat cybersecurity threats and attacks.

Governments are dealing with a big spike in cybercrime, and as international ransomware attacks escalate, state and local governments are being increasingly targeted. Texas is not immune to the trend, and state Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) Nancy Rainosek provides a unique look at how the Lone Star State is reacting to the crime wave with a blow-by-blow description of a serious ransomware attack.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has launched a new webpage featuring a catalog of free cybersecurity tools and resources that the agency hopes will serve as a “one-stop resource where organizations of all sizes can find free public and private sector resources to reduce their cybersecurity risk.”

The state of Washington’s Department of Labor (DoL) confirmed that it detected “suspicious activity” during the week of Jan. 24 indicating a cyberattack targeting the state’s professional and occupational license data.

The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Feb. 2 voted to approve the Improving Cybersecurity of Small Organizations Act of 2021 (S. 2483), which would require the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to maintain and promote cyber guidance for use by small organizations.

Officials with the National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) and CompTIA Public Technology Institute hosted their 11th annual State and Local 2022 Tech Forecast on Jan. 27 with a focus on hot-button digital government service issues including user centric design, improved customer experience, security, automation, and citizen identity management.

Over the past several months, the United States has experienced many cyberattacks to large cities and small towns. These attacks, Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Alejandro Mayorkas told mayors across the country indicate that cities across the United States need to identify a cyber leader regardless of the size and sophistication of the infrastructure to remain vigilant about cybersecurity.

The California Department of Technology (CDT) is pushing back strongly against a new report from the California State Auditor (CSA) that finds the California CIO’s office has provided inadequate oversight of the state’s information security status.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker and Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito filed legislation seeking $4.991 billion in capital funds to support core improvements in the state’s cybersecurity, public safety, and workforce skills, among other priorities.