HomeAbout usMediaCIS Press ReleasesICYMI: Senator Hassan Visits Center for Internet Security to Discuss Importance of Bolstering Cybersecurity for State and Local Entities

ICYMI: Senator Hassan Visits Center for Internet Security to Discuss Importance of Bolstering Cybersecurity for State and Local Entities

EAST GREENBUSH, N.Y. – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan, a member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, last week visited the Center for Internet Security (CIS) to be briefed about cybersecurity threats specifically targeting state and local entities. CIS is an independent, nonprofit organization that directly provides services and resources to state and local entities to prevent and respond to cyber attacks. Additionally, CIS helps state and local entities connect to federal government cybersecurity resources such as information on cyber threats and best cybersecurity practices.

During her visit to CIS, where she was joined by the Center’s President and CEO, John Gilligan, the Senator heard more about the tools, resources, and services that CIS provides state and local entities to prepare for and respond to these threats. Additionally, Senator Hassan talked with CIS employees who were participating in an exercise designed to prepare participants for a major cyber attack. In 2019, Senator Hassan successfully led efforts to protect funding for this organization.

“A cyber attack on a state or local government network can put schools, electrical grids, and crucial services in jeopardy,” Senator Hassan said. “New Hampshire has many rural communities, where local entities often don’t have the cybersecurity personnel or training that they need in order to protect against cyber attacks, which is why I have worked to strengthen state and local governments’ cyber defenses. The Center for Internet Security serves as an important resource that helps state and local governments, and other entities, develop best practices for securing their cyber networks against threats.”

“We were pleased to welcome Senator Hassan to the Center for Internet Security (CIS) and are deeply appreciative of her proactive support for increasing the cybersecurity resilience of state and local governments,” said CIS President and CEO, John Gilligan. “The Congressionally funded Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), operated by CIS, continues to be an essential catalyst for improving cyber protection as more U.S. State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) government institutions, including K-12 schools, election offices, and other critical infrastructure organizations, recognize the value of working together to counter the increasingly sophisticated and persistent cyber threats against public institutions. Parallel initiatives by Senator Hassan and her colleagues, such as the billion dollar SLTT Cybersecurity grant program, are providing critically needed seed funding to accelerate adoption of cybersecurity best practices and cyber defense solutions for local, rural, and tribal SLTT organizations.”

Senator Hassan is leading bipartisan efforts to strengthen cybersecurity in New Hampshire and across the country. Senator Hassan worked to pass into law her measure to create a Cybersecurity Coordinator in every state to help federal, state, and local governments, as well as schools, hospitals, and other entities, coordinate and better protect their systems against cyber attacks. Senator Hassan also helped secure a measure in the bipartisan infrastructure law to create and fund a state and local cybersecurity grant program. Furthermore, the Homeland Security Committee recently voted to advance Senator Hassan’s National Risk Management Act, which she introduced with Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT), to strengthen the security of critical infrastructure sectors by requiring the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to continually conduct a five-year National Risk Management Cycle. In addition, Senator Hassan successfully secured her bipartisan amendment in an annual defense bill to ensure that the National Guard can help state and local governments and businesses improve their cybersecurity.  


 

About CIS

The Center for Internet Security, Inc. (CIS®) makes the connected world a safer place for people, businesses, and governments through our core competencies of collaboration and innovation. We are a community-driven nonprofit, responsible for the CIS Critical Security Controls® and CIS Benchmarks™, globally recognized best practices for securing IT systems and data. We lead a global community of IT professionals to continuously evolve these standards and provide products and services to proactively safeguard against emerging threats. Our CIS Hardened Images® provide secure, on-demand, scalable computing environments in the cloud. CIS is home to the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center® (MS-ISAC®), the trusted resource for cyber threat prevention, protection, response, and recovery for U.S. State, Local, Tribal, and Territorial (SLTT) government entities, and the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center® (EI-ISAC®), which supports the rapidly changing cybersecurity needs of U.S. election offices. To learn more, visit CISecurity.org or follow us on Twitter: @CISecurity.