National Guard Talks Cybersecurity With North Shore Officials
DANVERS, MA — The National Guard of Massachusetts recently met with North Shore officials and lawmakers to discuss the threat of cyberattacks on municipal governments and public infrastructures and introduce the Massachusetts Cyber Incident Response Plan.
Cities and towns are now the second most targeted entity for cyberattacks, which can cost tax taxpayers millions and threaten infrastructure.
"It's imperative that our towns and cities have the resources and knowledge to prevent cyberattacks," said State Rep. Sally Kerans (D-Danvers), one of several state representatives, state senators, and municipal officials from Danvers, Peabody, Lynn, Beverly and Salem who attended the North Shore Community College summit ahead of Cybersecurity Awareness Month.
Rep. Peter Capano (D-Lynn), Rep. Jamie Belsito (D-Topsfield), Rep. Thomas Walsh (D- Peabody), Rep. Jerald Parisella (D-Beverly), Sen. Joan Lovely (D-Beverly), and Peabody Fire Chief Joe Daly also attended the summer that introduced the Massachusetts Cyber Incident Response Plan — a guide to inform the actions of the Commonwealth’s public safety and IT security professionals to rapidly respond and minimize the impact of a significant cyber incident.
"Cybersecurity is a critical component to our nation's infrastructure defense," said Maj. Gen. Gary W. Keefe, The Adjutant General, Massachusetts National Guard. "We continually work with our partner agencies to provide sustainable support to help build cyber resilience across the Commonwealth and appreciate the opportunity to work with our legislators."
Town of Danvers IT Director Colby Cousens received an award last week for excellence in cyber security and risk management. Danvers is part of the North Shore IT Collaborative.
(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at Scott.Souza@Patch.com. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)
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