Columbus approves $23M for improving cybersecurity infrastructure

Yahoo

3 days ago

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Columbus City Council has approved $23 million to strengthen the city's cybersecurity infrastructure.
This comes just days before the one year anniversary of the city being hit with a massive ransomware attack.
NBC4 Investigates uncovered that half a million people's private information, including the identities of undercover officers and crime victims, was stolen and leaked on the dark web. Now, millions of dollars will be invested in a new system.
Council approved $23 million for what is called a 'zero-trust network'. This model is 'never trust, always verify.'
The city is hoping that implementing the zero-trust network will strengthen it's IT infrastructure against future attacks.
Traditional networks assume everything inside an organization's network can be trusted. Now, this security mindset assumes that there are threats both inside and outside of a network and makes it so that only necessary users are authorized.
Once implemented, only those with express permission and who go through strict verification can access the city's network.
A spokesperson for Mayor Andrew Ginther sent a statement saying:
'Federal, state, and local governmental entities, including the City of Columbus, face persistent and sophisticated cybersecurity threats. These threats are constantly evolving and increasing in sophistication. Cybersecurity experts and researchers have developed the Zero Trust Network framework to adapt to these threats.
'Unlike traditional security frameworks that assume everything inside an organization's network is trustworthy, a Zero Trust Network assumes that threats can exist both inside and outside the network. Therefore, among other things, a Zero Trust Network requires strict verification for every user and device attempting to access resources within a network, regardless of their location. It also includes segmenting an organization's network into smaller, isolated zones or microsegments. These microsegments are typically aligned with organizational units such as departments or workgroups, are intended to limit unnecessary network traffic between segments, and are designed to prevent unauthorized movement between segments.
'Zero Trust is not a product, but a shift in security mindset, architecture, and operational approach. The City of Columbus is seeking to commence its Zero Trust Network project later this year and anticipates that it will take at least two years to implement with an estimated investment of $23 million.'
Councilmember Nick Bankston also sent a statement saying:
'In today's world, cybersecurity is public safety. This $23 million investment in a Zero Trust Network is not just about protecting servers — it's about protecting the people of Columbus. By modernizing our infrastructure and adopting industry best practices, we are taking responsible, proactive steps to ensure that residents can trust their government to keep their information safe and services running securely.
Council remains committed to sharing information about last year's cyberattack when it is appropriate to do so. However, what we can say is this: we're taking action to make sure our systems — and our residents — are protected against the evolving threat landscape going forward.'
Hardware will need to be replaced across all city buildings and data centers. The city will start implementing the framework in its core network and largest facilities and expand over the next two years.
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