Senator Hassan Joins NH National Guard for Cybersecurity Exercise
Senator Recently Introduced Bipartisan Bill to Strengthen Local, State, Federal Cyber Defenses
PEMBROKE – In case you missed it, Senator Maggie Hassan yesterday joined members of the New Hampshire National Guard and local, state, and federal officials for Cyber Yankee 2019, a training exercise to prepare for and prevent cyberattacks. Senator Hassan spoke with participants and discussed the need for coordinated efforts to identify and mitigate the damage that cyber threats pose to New Hampshire and our country.
As a member of the Senate Homeland Security Committee, Senator Hassan is focused on enhancing cybersecurity at local, state, and federal levels. Last month, Senator Hassan spoke with Strafford Country officials about the recent cyberattack that hit their county government. Senator Hassan recently joined in introducing the bipartisan Advancing Cybersecurity Continuing Diagnostics and Mitigation Act, which would update and improve federal agencies’ cybersecurity, and make additional cyber defense resources available to Strafford County and other state and local governments. Last year, the President signed two bipartisan bills from Senator Hassan and Rob Portman (R-OH) to help strengthen cyber defenses at the Department of Homeland Security.
See below or click here for coverage of the event from WMUR:
WMUR (VIDEO): Law enforcement, National Guard test ability to fight cyberattacks
Law enforcement and defense teams from across New England are in the Granite State learning how to prepare for cyberattacks.
The teams gathered in Pembroke for the annual Cyber Yankee exercise, in which they and the National Guard test their response to a simulated cyberattack against state government and infrastructure.
[…] Last month, a cyberattack hit the Strafford County government, compromising more than 500 computers at the jail, courthouse and a nursing home.
"Which shows that it's not only important for all workers to understand what a cyberattack looks like, but a continuity operations plan is critical," said U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H.
Hassan said she's working to make more cyber defense resources available and came to listen to what state and federal leaders had to say.
###
