By Richard Forno, principal lecturer, Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, UMBC

President Joe Biden on March 21, 2022, warned that Russian cyberattacks on U.S. targets are likely, though the government has not identified a specific threat. Biden urged the private sector: “Harden your cyber defenses immediately.”

It is a costly fact of modern life that organizations from pipelines and shipping companies to hospitals and any number of private companies are vulnerable to cyberattacks, and the threat of cyberattacks from Russia and other nations makes a bad situation worse. Individuals, too, are at risk from the current threat.

Local governments, like schools and hospitals, are particularly enticing “soft targets” – organizations that lack the resources to defend themselves against routine cyberattacks, let alone a lengthy cyber conflict. For those attacking such targets, the goal is not necessarily financial reward but disrupting society at the local level.

From issuing business licenses and building permits and collecting taxes to providing emergency services, clean water and waste disposal, the services provided by local governments entail an intimate and ongoing daily relationship with citizens and businesses alike. Disrupting their operations disrupts the heart of U.S. society by shaking confidence in local government and potentially endangering citizens.

In the crosshairs

Local governments have suffered successful cyberattacks in recent years. These include attacks on targets ranging from 911 call centers to public school systems. The consequences of a successful cyberattack against local government can be devastating.

A cyberattack on the city of Baltimore disrupted municipal services for weeks in 2019. AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

I and other researchers at University of Maryland, Baltimore County have studied the cybersecurity preparedness of the United States’ over 90,000 local government entities. As part of our analysis, working with the International City/County Management Association, we polled local government chief security officers about their cybersecurity preparedness. The results are both expected and alarming.

Among other things, the survey revealed that nearly one-third of U.S. local governments would be unable to tell if they were under attack in cyberspace. This is unsettling; nearly one-third of local governments that did know whether they were under attack reported being attacked hourly, and nearly half at least daily.

Ill-equipped

Lack of sound IT practices, let alone effective cybersecurity measures, can make successful cyberattacks even more debilitating. Almost half of U.S. local governments reported that their IT policies and procedures were not in line with industry best practices.

In many ways, local governments are no different from private companies in terms of the cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities and management problems they face. In addition to those shared cybersecurity challenges, where local governments particularly struggle is in hiring and retaining the necessary numbers of qualified IT and cybersecurity staff with wages and workplace cultures that can compare with those of the private sector or federal government.

Additionally, unlike private companies, local governments by their nature are limited by the need to comply with state policies, the political considerations of elected officials and the usual perils of government bureaucracy such as balancing public safety with the community’s needs and corporate interests. Challenges like these can hamper effective preparation for, and responses to, cybersecurity problems – especially when it comes to funding. In addition, much of the technology local communities rely on, such as power and water distribution, are subject to the dictates of the private sector, which has its own set of sometimes competing interests.

Large local governments are better positioned to address cybersecurity concerns than smaller local governments. Unfortunately, like other soft targets in cyberspace, small local governments are much more constrained. This places them at greater risk of successful cyberattacks, including attacks that otherwise might have been prevented. But the necessary, best-practice cybersecurity improvements that smaller cities and towns need often compete with the many other demands on a local community’s limited funds and staff attention.

Getting the basics right

Whether they are victimized by a war on the other side of the world, a hacktivist group promoting its message or a criminal group trying to extort payment, local governments in the U.S. are enticing targets. Artificial intelligence hacking tools and vulnerabilities introduced by the spread of smart devices and the growing interest in creating “smart cities” put local governments even more at risk.

There’s no quick or foolproof fix to eliminate all cybersecurity problems, but one of the most important steps local governments can take is clear: Implement basic cybersecurity. Emulating the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s national cybersecurity framework or other industry accepted best practices is a good start.

I believe government officials, especially at the local level, should develop and apply the necessary resources and innovative technologies and practices to manage their cybersecurity risks effectively. Otherwise, they should be prepared to face the technical, financial and political consequences of failing to do so.

*****

Header image: Hackers can disrupt local government services, like this library in Willmar, Texas. The town suffered a cyberattack in August 2019. AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

Richard Forno, Principal Lecturer in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Registration Opens in May

June 6, 2022 2:00 PM  to 
June 10, 2022 4:00 PM
Alexandria

Join the National Science Foundation for the Spring 2022 NSF Virtual Grants Conference, to be held during the week of June 6-10, 2022. 

Just like the in-person grants conferences, the NSF Virtual Grants Conference is a must, especially for new faculty, researchers and administrators.

Meeting Type
Conference, Outreach

Contacts
Registration Questions, email:grants_conference@nsf.gov

NSF Related Organizations
NSF-Wide
Office of Budget Finance and Award Management

Related Websites
NSF Policy Office: https://nsf.gov/bfa/dias/policy/
NSF Policy Outreach: https://nsfpolicyoutreach.com/

In accordance with Important Notice No. 147, many National Science Foundation (NSF) program solicitations now require the use of Research.gov for the preparation and submission of proposals. Please be advised that NSF will now start requiring the use of Research.gov for the preparation and submission of proposals in response to program descriptions. As a reminder, FastLane is targeted to be removed as a submission option from all funding opportunities when the Proposal and Award Policies and Procedures Guide (PAPPG) goes into effect in January 2023. Grants.gov will remain a submission option for most NSF proposals.

Program Descriptions in Research.gov

To assist the research community, NSF developed a dynamic listing of program descriptions that require submission in Research.gov. Follow these steps to determine if your proposal for a specific program description must be prepared and submitted in Research.gov:

·         Access the relevant NSF.gov program description page (e.g., Magnetospheric Physics, PD 98-5750).

·         View the advisory in the Program Guidelines section on the right side of the program description page and click on the link in the advisory:

Alert: Many NSF programs are only accepting proposals in Research.gov or Grants.gov. FastLane may no longer be a submission option. For more information, please visit Program Descriptions that Require Proposal Preparation and Submission in Research.gov or Grants.gov.

The document will identify program descriptions requiring Research.gov preparation and submission and the associated effective date. This document will be updated on an ongoing basis as FastLane will be removed from all program descriptions as a proposal preparation and submission option when the PAPPG goes into effect in January 2023.

Since many program solicitations also require submission in Research.gov, proposers should pay close attention to the requirements identified in those specific funding opportunities.

Research.gov Proposal Capabilities and Transition from FastLane Proposal Preparation

Nearly all FastLane proposal preparation and submission capabilities are now available in Research.gov. For details about the remaining proposal features that will soon be added to Research.gov, please see the Proposal Submission Capabilities table on the Research.gov About Proposal Preparation and Submission page. To stay informed about Research.gov and FastLane changes, we invite you to join our System Updates listserv. Sign up by sending a blank email to: system_updates-subscribe-request@listserv.nsf.gov.

NSF strongly encourages proposers to prepare and submit all supported proposals in Research.gov now, to facilitate a smooth transition from FastLane proposal preparation to Research.gov over the next several months. In addition, NSF relies on your vital feedback to help ensure the system is working as intended and to identify areas of improvement. Feedback may be submitted at https://www.research.gov/research-web/feedback.

Research.gov Proposal Preparation and Submission Training Resources

·         Research.gov About Proposal Preparation and Submission page

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) by topic
• Video Tutorials
• How-to Guides

·         Research.gov Proposal Preparation Demo Site (See the demo site FAQs on the Research.gov About Proposal Preparation and Submission page for access information and demo site features.)

·         Research.gov Update and Demonstration presentation from the Fall 2021 NSF Virtual Grants Conference

Questions? If you have IT system-related questions, please contact the NSF Help Desk at 1-800-381-1532 (7:00 AM - 9:00 PM ET; Monday - Friday except federal holidays) or via rgov@nsf.gov. Policy-related questions should be directed to policy@nsf.gov.

The Louis L. Kaplan Scholarship is now accepting applications. 

This scholarship is awarded to deserving undergraduate students at UMBC who have achieved a minimum 3.0 grade point average, have junior or senior status, have made contributions to the community, and who demonstrate financial need.

The Louis L. Kaplan Scholarship was established November 24, 1981, by the Student Government Association at UMBC in recognition of Dr. Kaplan’s contributions to UMBC during his tenure as Interim Chancellor. It was Dr. Kaplan’s wish, when the fund was first established, that students who displayed academic promise be assisted financially in order to continue their education at UMBC.

-APPLY HERE-

Minimum eligibility requirements:

• Must be an undergraduate junior or senior student (60 minimum credits by Fall);
• Maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA; and
• Have made valuable contributions to the UMBC community.
  Demonstrate financial need (FAFSA) preferred.

Eligible candidates should submit:

• A current resume
• An unofficial UMBC transcript
• 1-3 letters of recommendation from a UMBC faculty or staff member
• A maximum 250-word written statement demonstrating significant contribution to the UMBC Campus Community