Sen. Kaminsky Urges State Officials To Help Safeguard Local Governments & Schools From Cyberattacks

(Albany, New York) — Today, Senator Todd Kaminsky urged New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) Commissioner Patrick Murphy to aid local governments and school districts in safeguarding themselves against cyberattacks and data breaches. Kaminsky’s push comes in the wake of cyberhackings committed against the City of Long Beach and the Rockville Centre School District.

“Cyberattacks and data breaches are taxpayers’ worst nightmare during this day and age,” said Senator Todd Kaminsky. “An attack on a municipality’s servers or a school’s student records carries catastrophic implications, jeopardizing highly-sensitive information and governmental operations — and can cost taxpayers dearly. I was heartened to hear that the state’s Homeland Security Commissioner agreed to work with our local governments and school districts to help them stem this serious threat and ensure they are safeguarded from hackers, but more resources need to be dedicated to this endeavor. In Albany, I will continue to do all I can to protect the safety and security — both physical and virtual — of our community’s institutions.”

Cyberhackings have been on the rise during the COVID-19 pandemic. In December, the City of Long Beach’s computer systems were hit with a cyberattack, forcing the municipality to shut down its internal and external networks. In August 2019, the Rockville Centre School District was forced to pay $100,000 to hackers following a ransomware attack.

Commissioner Murphy agreed to work collaboratively with municipalities and schools to bolster their cybersecurity and mitigate threats of hacks and data breaches. The Commissioner also noted a cybersecurity grant program being administered by DHSES which Senator Kaminsky is aiding local governments and school districts in applying for.

You can watch a video of Senator Kaminsky’s exchange with the State Homeland Security Commissioner here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vq-mST0amhg.