Ninety-seven percent of local government IT executives listed cybersecurity as a key priority for the current fiscal year (FY), according to the tenth annual State of City and County IT National Survey administered by CompTIA’s Public Technology Institute (PTI).

Following a cyberattack detected on April 6, Minnesota’s Rochester Public Schools (RPS) has announced that it does not believe that any student data was accessed. Additionally, the school system said that it has no evidence that the affected data pertaining to RPS employees has been used for financial fraud or identity theft. Since the attack was detected, the school system has been working with third-party forensics experts as part of an ongoing investigation.

National and international cybersecurity officials last week released recommendations and resources to help smart cities balance efficiency and innovation with cybersecurity, privacy protections, and national security.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham earlier this month signed into law the Cybersecurity Act, which establishes a state government Cybersecurity Office that will oversee cybersecurity and information security related functions across New Mexico.

Sens. Mark Warner, D-Va., and Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., joined Reps. Doris Matsui, D-Calif., and Zach Nunn, R-Iowa, to reintroduce bipartisan legislation on April 18 that tasks the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security (CISA) with establishing a school cybersecurity improvement program.

Twenty-one New York City employees have now graduated from the New York City Cyber Academy, a specialized training program designed to bolster the city’s cybersecurity workforce and enhance agency cyber capabilities to defend against threats to essential services and critical infrastructure.

North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum has signed legislation that requires cybersecurity education for all K-12 students – making it the first state in the union to do so.

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) and the National Governors Association (NGA) have joined together in a push to help states combat the cybersecurity workforce shortage.

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy has signed new legislation that will require state agencies and government contractors to report cybersecurity incidents to the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP) within 72 hours of an incident.

As agencies begin work to implement the Biden administration’s brand new national cyber strategy, the chief information officer (CIO) of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said he’s most excited that the strategy calls on the Federal government to diversify the cybersecurity workforce.