MS-ISAC: A vital cybersecurity partner for SLTTs

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Tuesday will cut its ties to and funding for the Center for Internet Security, a nonprofit that provides free and low-cost cybersecurity services to state and local governments. "CISA's cooperative agreement with the Center for Internet Security (CIS) will reach its planned end on September 30, 2025," America's lead cyber-defense agency said in a Monday announcement. "This transition reflects CISA's mission to strengthen accountability, maximize impact, and empower SLTT [state, local, tribal, and territorial] partners to defend today and secure tomorrow." The move is part of CISA's "new model" to support state and local governments with "access to grant funding, no-cost tools, and cybersecurity expertise to be resilient and lead at the local level," the announcement continued. It's unclear, however, how cutting funding to programs that aim to boost local governments' digital defenses will improve cybersecurity resiliency. https://lnkd.in/ezfAcVyi 

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Tuesday will cut its ties to and funding for the Center for Internet Security, a nonprofit that provides free and low-cost cybersecurity services to state and local governments. What is hampered by this move is the MS-ISAC, a multi state network of cybersecurity individuals that functions as a 24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC) that distributes timely, actionable information and offers support to help SLTT governments defend against cyber threats. Currently, there have been no released plans about how the MS-ISAC will function, even after it suffered cuts to its funding earlier this year. https://lnkd.in/g-2kYnnK

Another reminder that cybercrime isn’t slowing down—hackers recently exposed sensitive information belonging to government officials across multiple agencies. While large organizations are often the headline, these same tactics are being used every day against small businesses, nonprofits, and local offices. The methods evolve, but the goal is always the same: exploit weak security. Staying protected doesn’t require a massive budget—it just takes consistent patching, backups, and modern endpoint protection. Simplified Solutions helps small organizations get enterprise-grade protection without the complexity or cost. You can read the full article about this cyberattck at https://lnkd.in/gS4mmP3D

WannaCry wasn’t just ransomware, it was a global wake-up call. My latest article revisits the 2017 catastrophe to reveal how easily neglecting basic security can lead to mass disruption. 📌 What’s in the article: ✔️The EternalBlue exploit that enabled the spread ✔️How a routine patch could’ve saved billions ✔️The human, operational, and financial fallout ✔️Best practices for protecting your devices and data 📌 Click the link below to read the complete article and help build resilience in your organization today: 👉: https://lnkd.in/dhdqj37n #CyberAwarenessMonth #StaySecure #DataDefense #WannaCry #WomenInCyber #CyberHijabi🧕 Kharim Mchatta Khamis Mwanyere Charles Koome chris mukunya Mukhtar Salim Velma Anangwe Anita Asienga Jerry Joseph Joab Kose John Kiguru Joram Malley

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem promised to prioritize a “comprehensive, whole-of-government approach to cybersecurity.” But over the last nine months, a key cybersecurity agency under Noem’s command has had its staffing slashed by more than a third, axed funding for election security programs and scaled back its support to state and local governments to protect against cyber threats.

So let’s review the most recent U.S. Cyber Defense news: 👎 CISA ends its long-standing deal with MS-ISAC, effectively leaving small state and municipality cyber programs in the lurch. 👎 The government shuts down. ⅔ CISA staff are furloughed. (ICE gets to keep 85% of their staff, though 🤔). 👎 Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act expires, putting the private sector on the defensive when it comes to sharing critical information to secure the nation’s infrastructure.   What a week. https://lnkd.in/gHVXA43q

The United States federal government has ended its longstanding support for the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), a trusted program for sharing cyber threat intelligence that state and local governments have relied on for years. https://hubs.li/Q03M0M550

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on Monday announced that its cooperative agreement with the Center for Internet Security, the Upstate New York nonprofit that runs the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, will conclude Tuesday. The federal cybersecurity agency said that the end of the agreement, which had been planned for the end of the fiscal year at the close of the month Tuesday, marks a transition to “a new model” of supporting state and local government agencies in protecting their systems against digital threats. https://lnkd.in/eH7--Evn

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on Monday announced that its cooperative agreement with the Center for Internet Security, the Upstate New York nonprofit that runs the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center, will conclude Tuesday. The federal cybersecurity agency said that the end of the agreement, which had been planned for the end of the fiscal year at the close of the month Tuesday, marks a transition to “a new model” of supporting state and local government agencies in protecting their systems against digital threats. https://lnkd.in/eaw2PEU7