Gov. Charlie Baker
HYANNIS – Governor Charlie Baker recently recognized several municipalities and public schools from the Cape & Islands as being cyber aware communities at a virtual event hosted by the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security.
Those recognized from the region and across Massachusetts were top performers in the Municipal Cybersecurity Awareness Grant Program to combat rising cyberattacks on municipal government and education systems using methods such as phishing, smishing, hacking and ransomware.
“Buy-in and awareness on cybersecurity from an organization’s leadership team is critical to its success,” said Baker.
“Congratulations to each of the municipalities and public schools that have earned recognition as a Cyber Aware Community for their leadership in better securing their organization from potential threats,” he said.
Over 62,000 municipal and public school employees have taken part in the program, which is managed by the EOTSS’ Office of Municipal and School technology.
Those receiving recognition from the Cape & Islands were the Barnstable Police and the towns of Dennis, Edgartown, Nantucket, Orleans, Provincetown, Sandwich and Truro.
“Threats posed by cyber-attacks are so great today that cybersecurity can no longer be viewed as a problem for the IT department alone, said Secretary of Technology Service and Security Curt Wood.
“The municipalities and public schools being recognized today are stepping up to ensure that every member of there is properly trained to identify and avoid attempts by malicious actors to gain access to critical systems and data,” he said.
The application period for the 2022 Municipal Cybersecurity Awareness Grant Program will open on October 29, 2021.
By Mathew Tomlinson, CapeCod.com NewsCenter
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