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Rubio Urges Local Governments to use Resources Provided by DHS to Prevent Future Successful Cyber Attacks

Jun 28, 2019 | Press Releases

Washington, D.C. U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) informed the Florida League of Cities and the Florida Association of Counties of resources made available by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to help protect local government networks from intrusion by bad actors. In the letters, Rubio encouraged each organization to share these resources with their membership. 
 
The letters are in response to reports that two Florida cities used taxpayer funds to pay cyber criminals following ransomware attacks. Last week Rubio urged local governments to take advantage of these resources to prevent future attacks. 
 
The full text of the letter is below. 
 
Dear President Longworth:
 
As you know, Florida counties’ and cities’ networks have been – and will continue to be – targeted by cybercriminals and even hostile foreign governments.  I write to ensure that the Florida League of Cities and its membership are aware of the resources provided by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to help protect local government networks from intrusion by bad actors.  
 
The Department’s Cybersecurity Advisors “offer assistance to help prepare and protect private sector entities and [state, local, tribal, and territorial] governments from cybersecurity threats.”  These advisors “promote cybersecurity preparedness, risk mitigation, and incident response capabilities, working to engage stakeholders through partnership and direct assistance activities.”    
 
I encourage you to share this letter and the following websites with your membership: 
 
Overview of the Department’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s resources: https://www.dhs.gov/cisa/stakeholder-engagement-and-cyber-infrastructure-resilience
 
Comprehensive review of services offered by the Cybersecurity Advisors Program: http://us-cert.gov/ccubedvp 
 
In addition, your membership can directly contact the Cybersecurity Advisors Program for more information by emailing cyberadvisor@hq.dhs.gov.   
 
It is our collective responsibility to ensure that Federal, state, and local governments are protecting their networks, educating their workforces, and implementing the best cyber practices throughout all government organizations.  I appreciate your ongoing efforts to further these shared goals.  
 
Please do not hesitate to reach out to my office if I can be of assistance to your work.
 
Sincerely,