Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito recognizes participants of the 2022 Municipal Cybersecurity Awareness Grant Program at Haverhill City Hall on March 8. (Photo courtesy Joshua Qualls/Governor’s Press Office)
At an event hosted by the city of Haverhill today, the Baker-Polito administration announced the 2022 recipients of Municipal Cybersecurity Awareness grants.
The program, administered by the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security and its Office of Municipal and School Technology, will provide cybersecurity training to more than 57,000 employees from 210 municipalities and public school districts across the Commonwealth to better detect and avoid cyberthreats.
• Download the full list of awardees
The cybersecurity grant program, funded by $250,000 in capital IT authorizations from a 2020 general governmental bond law, is designed to support local government efforts to improve overall cybersecurity posture through comprehensive online end-user training, evaluation and threat simulation.
Awarded communities will receive licenses for end-user training, assessment and phishing simulation procured by the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security. Demonstrated buy-in from the chief executive in the community is a requirement of all program participants.
Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito joined Secretary of Technology Services and Security Curt Wood, legislators and municipal officials from across the Commonwealth to announce the award recipients. The city of Haverhill and the Haverhill Public Schools are first-time participants in the program and have been awarded a grant that will see 1,900 city employees receive end-user cybersecurity training.
“The city of Haverhill takes its job to protect the privacy of our residents and the general public very seriously, and we are committed to improving our cybersecurity defenses,” said Mayor James Fiorentini. “Although we already provide cybersecurity training to our employees, this funding will allow us to do more and make our defenses and safeguards even stronger.”
Wood said he is “thrilled at the response to this year’s grant program, with executives from across the Commonwealth’s cities and towns stepping up and making cybersecurity a priority.”
MassCyberCenter Director Stephanie Helm said employee training programs “are an important component of a comprehensive security program and the establishment of a culture of cybersecurity.” The grants, she said, will help each recipient meet the goals of the Minimum Baseline of Cybersecurity for Municipalities.
“Today’s announcement is welcome news to communities, and demonstrates that the state is deeply committed to working with local governments to create resilient and cyber-secure cities and towns in every corner of Massachusetts,” said MMA Executive Director Geoff Beckwith. “Local leaders know that protecting our public IT infrastructure and sensitive data from sophisticated cyberattacks requires a powerful state-local partnership, and we are grateful to the Baker-Polito administration and the Massachusetts Legislature for providing critical support, resources and assets through the Cybersecurity Awareness Grant Program, which is a model for the rest of the nation.”
• More information on the Municipal Cybersecurity Awareness Grant Program
• More information on the municipal cybersecurity and IT program offerings from the Office of Municipal and School Technology