$9M Federal Grant Will Support MFA for N.Y. Local Govts.

Source Domain: www.govtech.com

(TNS) — Governor Kathy Hochul on Monday announced $9 million from the federal State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program will support the delivery of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) hard tokens to 161 counties, municipalities, school districts and public authorities throughout the state, including for five Washington County towns.

MFA requires two or more proofs of identity, making it more difficult for cyber attackers to gain access to private accounts. Hard tokens are hardware used to verify a user’s identity.

“Cyber threats are everywhere and with the important role technology plays in our day-to-day lives, it is crucial that organizations have the resources they need to keep themselves safe,” Governor Hochul said. “These tokens will go a long way in supporting our partners and making our state safer overall. We will not wait for an attack to expose vulnerabilities — we are acting now to strengthen our defenses across the state.”

Funding for this initiative is made through the combined FY2022 and FY2023 State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program, a federal program jointly administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency aimed at strengthening cybersecurity practices and the resilience of state, local, and territorial governments. The state Office of Information Technology Services (ITS), the New York State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Planning Committee, and the state Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services coordinated the initiative. ITS will administer the program.

In Washington County, the towns of Argyle, Fort Ann, Granville and Hampton, and Washington County itself, will receive MFA hard tokens.

New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Acting Commissioner Terry O’Leary said, “As cyber threats continue to grow, it’s critical that organizations at the county…

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