Gov. Kathy Hochul said on Sunday that she convened cabinet members from relevant areas to review the state’s ongoing cybersecurity preparedness efforts and make sure that New Yorkers and the state’s critical infrastructure are protected from cyberattacks.
Hochul said she was making the move due to “current geopolitical uncertainty,” an obvious reference to the current military tensions between Russia and Ukraine.
The governor said that state officials are in regular touch with the White House and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to ensure coordination.
On Friday, U.S. national security officials talked about the need to protect pipelines, banks, commercial aviation and hospitals from a potential Russian cyberattack, even though there were no specific or credible threats from cyberattack by Russian in the U.S. currently.
Hochul said that since New York state is a leader in finance, healthcare, energy and transportation, “our state is an attractive target for cyber criminals and foreign adversaries.”
The governor also reminded New Yorkers that they are also vulnerable to cyberattacks on their personal devices and she encouraged them to use best practices in terms of passwords and other authentication.
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