Town of East Bridgewater Recognized As ‘Cyber Aware Community’ By Baker-Polito Administration

EAST BRIDGEWATER — Director of Information Technology Ryan McGonigle and the Town of East Bridgewater are pleased to announce that the Town has been named a leader in cybersecurity awareness among municipalities in the state. 

On Tuesday, Oct. 26, the Baker-Polito administration recognized 34 cities, towns and public school districts from across the state as Cyber Aware Communities during a virtual event featuring local and state cybersecurity leaders. The event was hosted by the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security, as part of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

Those recognized were the top performing participants in this year’s round of the Municipal Cybersecurity Awareness Grant Program.

Cyberattacks on municipal government and education systems are on the rise nationwide as cyber threat actors are using common threat actions such as phishing, smishing, hacking and ransomware attacks to gain access to an organization’s IT networks and sensitive data, according to the EOTSS. Recent high-profile ransomware attacks and hacks have disrupted operations in both the public and private sector.

Employee cybersecurity awareness training, identified by the National Governors Association as “the single most effective factor in preventing security breaches and data losses,” is a critical tool for organizations to prepare their workforce to best defend against potential cyber threats.

“Buy-in and awareness on cybersecurity from an organization’s leadership team is critical to its success,” said Gov. Charlie Baker in a statement. “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.”

The Municipal Cybersecurity Awareness Grant Program is managed by EOTSS’s Office of Municipal and School Technology and is supported by capital funding secured in last year’s general governmental bond bill, intended to invest in the Commonwealth’s cybersecurity posture and IT infrastructure modernization initiatives.

In the first two years, 62,000 municipal and public school employees have enrolled in the program, including roughly 150 town and school employees in East Bridgewater. The training gives participants access to critical end-user training, evaluations and threat simulations. Participating organizations include large cities, small towns, and school districts from across the Commonwealth, according to the EOTSS. Results have shown that participants receiving the cybersecurity awareness training on average saw a 6-point improvement on the final assessment of the training course.

COVID-19 has amplified cybersecurity challenges for all organizations, according to the EOTSS. As cyber threat actors take advantage of an increasingly remote and hybrid workforce, the number of threats and scams has increased.

The application period for the 2022 Municipal Cybersecurity Awareness Grant Program will open on Oct. 29.

For information on additional cybersecurity and IT resources available to municipalities and public schools, click here.

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