While 2021 certainly had some attention-getting ransomware attacks, a new report from anti-virus software company Emsisoft found that ransomware attacks dropped in 2021 for both state and local governments (SLGs) and educational organizations.
The Department of Defense (DoD) has launched the DoD University Consortium for Cybersecurity (UC2) to better facilitate communication between the Secretary of Defense and academia, and fulfilling a requirement from the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, DoD announced Jan. 10.
The Senate this week approved legislation sponsored by Sens. Gary Peters, D-Mich., and Rob Portman, R-Ohio, which would promote stronger cybersecurity coordination between the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and state and local governments.
Finalsite, an internet software company that provides website design, hosting, and content management solutions to school districts announced that a ransomware attack impacting 5,000 of its total 8,000 global customers.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) and the City of Los Angeles announced they have launched “LA Secure,” a free mobile application that will improve the cybersecurity of Metro riders and city residents, keeping them safe online.
The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that President Biden signed last November represented a win for state and local governments (SLG), with the inclusion of a $1 billion cybersecurity grant program targeted at improving SLGs’ cybersecurity posture.
Despite a proclamation over the weekend from Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., that he was a “no” on the existing version of Build Back Better Act legislation, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said in a Dear Colleague letter today that he plans to keep working on the reconciliation legislation until they “get something done.”
The Better Cybercrime Metrics Act – legislation that aims to improve cybercrime data collection and give law enforcement more tools to stop online crime – was approved this week by the Senate via unanimous consent, and by the House Judiciary Committee via voice vote.
The Broward County Public School (BCPS) District is in the process of notifying about 50,000 people that a ransomware attack earlier this year resulted in unauthorized access to some district systems that may have potentially included the sensitive information of some faculty staff and students.
Human risk and error still represent the most significant cyber breach vectors, and with the dispersion of user-device network endpoints away from traditional networks during the coronavirus pandemic, those two vectors are only becoming more challenging to address, state and local government officials said during a Nov. 22 GovTech webinar.
