SecureSD: Cybersecurity for Municipalities and Counties

In South Dakota and across the country cyberattacks targeting local governments have grown exponentially in the last few years. Local governments are among the highest value targets for hackers due to the critical infrastructure and public services they must provide without interruption, along with the highly sensitive citizen data stored on their information technology (IT) networks.

SecureSD is an initiative funded through SB187, in partnership with the Attorney General’s Office and the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The initiative is aimed at strengthening the cybersecurity posture of municipalities, counties, and local governments across South Dakota.

WHO WE ARE

We are a team of cybersecurity professionals from Dakota State University MadLabs® dedicated to assisting local governments to improve the cybersecurity of their technology infrastructure. The DSU MadLabs® is part of the Madison Cyber Labs within the Research and Economic Development department on the DSU Madison campus.

WHAT WE DO

SecureSD will enhance the cybersecurity of municipalities, counties and local governments across South Dakota by providing various services. This program will be a partnership as we will need an investment with a demonstrated buy in of time and resources from the local governments. The partnership will be especially important as this will be a continuous effort going forward for everyone involved.

Specifically, the program will provide:

Secure email solution
- Migrate to a secure email solution
- Email Configuration Review (If necessary)
Security Enhancement Mitigation
- Mitigate (fix) security vulnerabilities/issues found from security assessments
  - Specialized solutions per entity.
- Firewall Configuration Review
- Purchase specialized security equipment (If necessary)
- Migration to .gov domain specifically reserved for government entities in the United States
- Weekly External Network Vulnerability Scan (CISA-Dept. Homeland Security)
Training
- Customized Cybersecurity Training
- Incident Response Planning
  - Workshop to assist cities/counties with building their Incident Response Plans
  - Tabletop exercises to practice Incident Response Plans
- Note: CISA/DSU training is already available and ready for scheduling
  - Fill out the form below on this SecureSD website
Requirements of the program:
1. Security assessments
  1. Technical Assessment
    1. Project Boundary Fence (DSU) [Or equivalent]
  2. Strategic Assessment:
    1. Vulnerability assessment (CISA-Dept. Homeland Security) [Or equivalent]
    2. Risk assessment (CISA-Dept. Homeland Security) [Or equivalent]

WHO WE PARTNER WITH

SecureSD is a partnership between Dakota State University, the South Dakota Attorney General’s office, and the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). Together, we will enhance the cybersecurity of our municipalities, counties, and local governments infrastructure.

Logos for SD Attorney General Office, DSU, CISA and SD Consumer Protection

ADVISORY COUNCIL

This initiative is supported by an advisory council comprising experts from various sectors:

State Agencies
- Office of Attorney General: Jody Gillaspie
- Secretary of State Office: Monae Johnson
Dakota State University
- Research and Economic Development: Dr. Ashley Podhradsky
- Research and Economic Development: Dr. Arica Kulm
- Research and Economic Development: Mike Waldner
Law Enforcement
- SD Sheriffs Association: Staci Ackerman
- McPherson County: Dave Ackerman
Counties and Municipalities
- South Dakota Association of County Commissioners: Eric Erickson
- South Dakota Association of County Commissioners: Kris Jacobson
- Minnehaha County: Monte Watembach
- City of Pierre/Hughes County: Craig Waldron
- City of Sioux Falls: McKenzie Hermanson
- Lawrence County: Greg Dias
- Brown County: Pat Wolberg
- South Dakota Municipal League: Sara Rankin
- South Dakota Association of Rural Water Systems: Jeremiah Corbin
Federal Cybersecurity
- Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA): Jim Edman
Statewide Cybersecurity Industries
- SBS CyberSecurity: Chad Knutson
- Golden West Technologies: Eric Eisenbraun
- Servos: Pat Snow

This broad coalition will work closely with DSU to prioritize and address the cybersecurity needs of South Dakota to build a safer digital landscape for all residents.

Tell us about your requirements

Fill out the form below to let us know your requirements. Once you do, we'll reach out to ask you a few questions to better understand your scope and timeline.