Annual cybersecurity conference in Albany outlined threats, prevention methods

ALBANY — New York State’s annual Cybersecurity Conference has provided the state Board of Elections a “greater insight” into emerging technology and trends so it can continue to keep statewide elections infrastructure secure. 

That’s according to Kristen Zebrowski Stavisky, co-executive director of the New York State Board of Elections, who commented in a news release on the event’s opening day in June. 

“Education and information sharing by all levels of government and academia has increased our awareness of potential cyber threats and helped us to enhance our cyber risk remediation planning,” Zebrowski Stavisky said. 

More than 1,000 cybersecurity professionals from state and local government, academia, and the private sector gathered in Albany for the 24th annual Cybersecurity Conference.

The two-day event, held June 7-8 at the Empire State Plaza, allowed attendees to discuss emerging developments in the industry and best practices designed to improve the security of New York State, the office of Gov. Kathy Hochul said. 

The New York State Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) hosts the annual conference, in partnership with the University at Albany School of Business and the New York State Forum, Inc. 

“In order to protect all New Yorkers, cybersecurity has to be the highest priority for IT professionals and users alike,” Mario Musolino, executive director of the New York State Forum, Inc., said. “The widespread use of virtual meetings and hybrid workplaces has added to the challenges we all face. It is critical that we understand the level of threat and make sure that we are protecting our valuable assets. This conference is a unique opportunity to learn from each other regardless of our level of expertise.”

Hochul earlier this year announced the creation of a Joint Security Operations Center in Brooklyn. It will serve as the nerve center for joint local, state and federal cyber efforts, including data collection, response efforts and information sharing.

The current state budget also includes $61.9 million for cybersecurity, “doubling the previous investment,” Hochul’s office said. 

The funding will help pay for “critical” protections, including the expansion of the state’s cyber Red Team program to provide additional penetration testing, an expanded phishing-exercise program, vulnerability scanning, and additional cyber-incident response services. 

The investments “help ensure” that if one part of the network is attacked, the state can isolate and protect the rest of the system, Hochul’s office said.       

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