critical infrastructure

Quantum sensing has ‘critical’ potential for electrical grid, official says

Quantum information technologies could be applied to the electrical grid for security and sustainability improvements.

  • By Alexandra Kelley

We’re back! Our grand return to live events

GCN and Route Fifty will hit the road with a new free event series to explore how cities across the country are building their future today.

  • By GCN Staff

Florida city water cyber incident allegedly caused by employee error

Al Braithwaite, the former city manager of Oldsmar, Florida, said the 2021 episode was not caused by outside hackers but was instead a “non-event” sparked by user error.

  • By Chris Teale

What is the National Cybersecurity Strategy? A cybersecurity expert explains what it is and what the Biden administration has changed

The National Cybersecurity Strategy outlines a need for improved cyber hygiene through cyber insurance, data sharing and fostering technology research.

  • By Richard Forno, The Conversation

CISA launches pilot to spot ransomware vulnerabilities

By uncovering vulnerabilities associated with known exploits, CISA can warn critical infrastructure organizations so they can mitigate issues before a ransomware incident occurs.

  • By Susan Miller

Report: Increased remote work for many governments also raises cyber risks

Roughly one-third of government employees believe “their actions don’t matter when it comes to security,” according to a new survey.

  • By Edward Graham

New bills look to help small water systems tap cybersecurity assistance

New legislation looks to set aside $10 million to help subsidize fees for small utilities to join the Water Information Sharing and Analysis Center.

  • By Carten Cordell

Acting national cyber director offers new details on upcoming cyber workforce strategy

The forthcoming plan is meant to accompany an overarching cyber strategy released last week that industry groups and cybersecurity experts said would be challenging to implement given the nation’s cyber workforce woes. 

  • By Chris Riotta

National cyber strategy ‘promising’ for state, local governments

While some groups applauded the Biden administration’s pledge to prioritize cybersecurity and help small governments fight attacks, others said more technical assistance and federal funding is needed.

  • By Chris Teale

EPA releases water systems cyber requirement in tandem with national strategy

The Environmental Protection Agency unveiled new cybersecurity guidelines to help states evaluate their water sanitation systems’ defenses.

  • By Alexandra Kelley

Building scalable, cost-effective application security

COMMENTARY | Automated scanning and remediation platforms can identify, fix and prevent security gaps and vulnerabilities at the software application and development levels.

  • By Mark Townsend

Earthquake data powered by next-gen supercomputers

A collaboration among national labs aims to provide an open-access website with datasets on how ground motion affects infrastructure during earthquakes.

  • By Kaitlyn Levinson

Earthquake in Turkey exposes gap between seismic knowledge and action – but it is possible to prepare

Government leaders should leverage seismic data, communications technology and interagency collaboration to better respond to natural disasters.

  • By Louise K. Comfort, Burcak Basbug Erkan and Polat Gulkan, The Conversation

What’s in a word? FCC’s proposed data breach rule redefines key terms

The public now has the opportunity to provide insight on the value and impact such redefinitions would have on incident reporting.

  • By Alexandra Kelley
Featured eBooks

Executive order blocks state business with ‘evil foreign governments’

South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem’s order will ensure companies associated with hostile nations do not access state infrastructure or data through IT or telecommunications contracts.

  • By Chris Teale

NIST releases potential updates to its cybersecurity framework

The National Institute of Standards and Technology wants to expand the cybersecurity guidance’s scope and foster more international collaboration, among other proposed changes.

  • By Alexandra Kelley

Texas universities block access to TikTok on campus Wi-Fi networks

It’s the latest step to limit access to the service after Gov. Greg Abbott directed state agencies to ban the app on government-issued devices citing cybersecurity risks.

  • By Kate McGee, The Texas Tribune

New York gives cyber initiatives a $35M boost

Gov. Kathy Hochul said the extra investment would expand shared cybersecurity services to local governments.

  • By Chris Teale

Cyber ranges bolster IoT security

With hands-on training, state and local governments can better address the vulnerabilities of internet-connected devices.

  • By Chris Teale

States enter the quantum race

Chattanooga is leveraging its high-speed fiber for the first commercial quantum network, while Maryland builds a quantum ecosystem.

  • By Chris Teale

States target mainframes in legacy system modernization

Security, cost and workforce challenges have states looking to retire, rehost or outsource mainframe operations, according to a survey by the National Association of State Technology Directors.

  • By Susan Miller