Cybersecurity threats are a global problem.
New York State is using the New York State Security Operations Center (NYSSOC) to address this issue.
Sullivan County was the first county to begin using NYSSOC.
This will enable nations to monitor cyber threats with the aim of preventing them and improving response to incidents.
“Our county, state, and nation are constantly under attack from foreign adversaries who seek to wreak havoc on the infrastructure and environment in which we work. It is important to address these risks and mitigate those risks as quickly as possible,” said Lorne Greene, Director of Information Technology Services and CIO for Sullivan County.
The NYSSOC facility is based in Brooklyn and is dedicated to real-time threat detection and response 24/7.
“Anything they see, like a red flag, even a minor incident, they alert us. And we take action on those and this is a low priority, We let them know it’s high priority, medium priority, and then we can take action on whatever happens,” said Sullivan County Deputy CIO Dan Smith.
Sullivan County began working with NYSSOC in late March, officials said. This was chosen because of our relationship with the New York State Department of Homeland Security and the state's Internet Security Center.
The agency collected log data from security appliances and servers and provided it to NYSSOC to begin the project.
“They then parse that data and put it into a recording solution to further determine if there are any incidents that need to be addressed,” Green said.
One of the key aspects of this effort is to ensure that threats can be tracked even in the absence of local IT services staff.
“I'm sleeping much better at night,” Green said.
“The tools are in place to make it easier for us to function and for people to be able to work without having to worry about something coming in and going down on a regular basis. It’s a great relief mentally,” Smith said.
Experts said the changes should give the public more confidence that their information is protected.
“We strive to stay aware of the cyber threats that exist and take appropriate steps to mitigate them when they occur to protect our data,” Green said.
Green said Tompkins County is next to do this, with 45 counties expressing interest in joining NYSSOC.
