"Collaboration, Training Key To Local Gov Cyber Defense, Officials Say"

A recent cyberattack on Fremont County, Colorado, highlighted the importance of governments being prepared for hacks in the face of ever-changing cyber threats by increasing collaboration and free training. The attack disrupted government services, forcing Fremont County to create a temporary website with information on how services were affected. It also blocked county employees from accessing their email. During a recent meeting of the Fremont County Board of Commissioners, Chair Debbie Bell stated that administrative staff had to write about 330 staff paychecks by hand so that employees could get paid on time. State and local governments are dealing with evolving threats, while having tight budgets that prevent investment in cybersecurity and increased risk associated with remote work due to the pandemic. In response, national groups have attempted to prepare governments for the possibility of an attack. For example, the National Association of Counties (NACo) released a guide for county leaders that tries to explain cybersecurity concepts and practices in layman's terms so they can understand their importance. According to NACo Chief Information Officer Rita Reynolds, local governments should use the Department of Homeland Security's Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), which notifies local officials of new threats, provides free training, and more. In addition, NACo and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) offer free cyberattack simulations to assist governments in preparing for an attack. Partnerships are critical for local governments when it comes to recovering from a cyberattack. Following the attack on Fremont County, an incident response team jointly led by the Fremont County Emergency Management and the Governor's Office of Information Technology began investigating the cause and those responsible, with assistance from the Colorado Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, the Colorado State Emergency Operations Center, and federal partners. This article continues to discuss the recent cyberattack against Fremont County and efforts that can help local governments better prepare for cyberattacks.

GCN reports "Collaboration, Training Key To Local Gov Cyber Defense, Officials Say"