Rural Communities Face Significant But Often Unrealized Cyber Threats

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As small and rural communities like Auburn, Ind., face mounting cybersecurity threats, particularly to critical infrastructure, state-level initiatives and collaborative efforts are becoming more important in protecting vulnerable sectors such as water, energy and space.

Senior Staff Writers Jule Pattison-Gordon and Thad Reuter from Governing's sister publication join the podcast to discuss the cover story of the new issue of Government Technology magazine.*

Show Notes

Here are the top five takeaways from this episode:

1. Rural Cybersecurity Vulnerabilities: Small and rural communities face significant cybersecurity challenges, particularly in protecting critical infrastructure like utilities, with limited resources making them more vulnerable to cyber threats.
2. Whole-of-State (WOS) Cybersecurity Programs: WOS initiatives, supported by federal grants, provide comprehensive cybersecurity support across state and local government levels, with various states adopting unique strategies to enhance their cybersecurity posture.
3. Sector-Specific Cyber Threats: Critical sectors such as water, energy and space are increasingly targeted by cyber attacks, with outdated systems and the integration of new technologies introducing additional vulnerabilities.
4. Sustainability of Cybersecurity Initiatives: There are ongoing concerns about the long-term sustainability of WOS programs, particularly the continuity of federal funding, which is crucial for maintaining the effectiveness of these initiatives.
5. Collaborative Cybersecurity Strategies: Collaboration between federal, state and international entities is essential in developing and implementing cybersecurity strategies, focusing on guidelines, technical assistance and raising awareness of cyber risks.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction: The Alarming Threat Environment in Cybersecurity

01:26 Protecting Critical Infrastructure: Water and Power

06:10 The Vulnerabilities of Small and Rural Communities

12:49 Collaborative Efforts in Cybersecurity Defense

16:09 The Role of Vendors in Providing Cybersecurity Solutions


Related Links to stories referenced in the episode:

• Critical Infrastructure: How to Protect Water, Power and Space from Cyber Attacks
• What Do Cities and Counties Get from Whole-of-State Cyber?
• New Regional Centers Focus on Electrical Grid Cybersecurity
• What Does the Future of Cybersecurity in Space Look Like?
• Cybersecurity in Space: Why Hacking Has Gone Off World
• Recovering from CrowdStrike, Prepping for the Next Incident
• Cyber Initiative Pegs 2027 as Infrastructure Defense Deadline

*Governing and Government Technology are both part of e.Republic. Our editors used ChatGPT 4.0 to summarize the episode in bullet form to help create the show notes. The main image for this story was created using DALL-E 3.