From the Office of Newburyport Mayor Sean Reardon:
NEWBURYPORT — The City of Newburyport has received a state grant that will help the city enhance its ability to respond to a cybersecurity attack.
The City will receive $51,910 from the Commonwealth’s Municipal Local Cybersecurity Grant Program. This grant allows city and school departments to create and update incident response plans and materials needed to ensure operational continuity following a cyberattack.
“Cybersecurity is a rapidly changing field, and we are grateful to the Commonwealth for their assistance in helping Newburyport improve its security position,” said Mayor Reardon. “We look forward to implementing new protections in the city and to continue to stay ahead on cybersecurity.”
The Healey-Driscoll Administration awarded $7 million in cybersecurity grants to 132 state and regional agencies and municipalities this week.
“It’s vital that our communities have access to the resources, tools, and guidance necessary to protect against increasingly frequent and sophisticated cybersecurity threats,” Gov. Maura Healey said in a release. “Through these programs, our administration has undertaken a collaborative approach to equip state agencies and local communities with funding to help prevent, prepare for and recover from attacks on our digital infrastructure.”
Funding came from the federal State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program offered to states by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).