IT Security

Protecting Sensitive Data:

• Ensuring the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of sensitive data, including personal information of citizens, financial records, and other critical data held by the city.
• Implementing strong encryption, access controls, and secure data storage practices to prevent unauthorized access and data breaches.

Ensuring Continuity of Services:

• Maintaining the availability and functionality of critical city services such as emergency response systems, public utilities, and communication networks.
• Developing and regularly updating disaster recovery and business continuity plans to quickly restore services in the event of an incident.

Defending Against Cyber Attacks:

• Defending against various types of cyber threats including malware, ransomware, phishing attacks, and denial-of-service (DoS) attacks.
• Employing a multi-layered security approach that includes firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems, and regular security audits.

Compliance and Regulatory Requirements:

• Adhering to local, state, and federal regulations regarding data protection and privacy, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).
• Regularly reviewing and updating policies to ensure compliance with evolving legal requirements.

Educating and Training Employees:

• Conducting regular training sessions for city employees to raise awareness about cybersecurity best practices, social engineering threats, and the importance of strong password policies.
• Promoting a culture of security awareness throughout the organization.

Incident Response and Management:

• Establishing a clear incident response plan that outlines the procedures for detecting, reporting, and responding to security incidents.
• Regularly testing the incident response plan through drills and simulations to ensure readiness.

Securing Infrastructure and Networks:

• Protecting the city's IT infrastructure, including servers, networks, and endpoints, from cyber threats.
• Implementing network segmentation, secure configuration management, and regular vulnerability assessments to minimize security risks.

Vendor and Third-Party Management:

• Ensuring that third-party vendors and contractors comply with the city's security standards.
• Conducting regular security assessments of third-party services and systems to identify and mitigate potential risks.

The IT Security Team protects the city’s citizens, data, and employees by implementing PAIR:

• Prevention

• Awareness

• Incident Response

PAIR is based on the NIST 800.53 and CSF 2.0 cyber security frameworks.