Tag: 220113

Tech protection

New Hampshire welcomes Cybersecurity Advisor

Meet Rick Rossi, New Hampshire’s first Cybersecurity Advisor, a newly created position within the Integrated Operations Division, Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency of the Department of Homeland Security.

When and why was this position created?

This position was created by Congress in the fiscal year 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, so I’m a federal employee funded by the Department of Homeland Security. It was created to improve communication as well as awareness of resources and collaboration between the federal government, state and local governments and critical infrastructure owners and operators.

What is your background in this type of work?

I come into the role with prior experience with the Department of Homeland Security and the Intelligence Community. … I’ve been with the Department in some form or fashion for almost 16 years now. I’ve done a lot of work with critical infrastructure owners and operators in terms of hardening their defenses and mitigating threats from our foreign advanced adversaries and other significant criminal cyber actors.

What exactly does this position entail?

My role as the Cybersecurity Advisor for New Hampshire is to offer cybersecurity assistance to critical infrastructure owners and operators, as well as state, local, tribal and territorial governments. That assistance can take the form of many different things, including introducing organizations to the myriad cybersecurity services and products that are available to them at no cost, as well as other public and private resources. … Additionally, my role includes providing cyber preparedness assessments, protective resources, strategic messaging, working group support and leadership, partnership in public-private development, as well as incident coordination and support in times of cyberthreat disruption and attack.

What do you hope to accomplish?

One of the primary goals is to make contact with as many critical infrastructure owners and operators, municipalities and government entities as possible … and [develop] a robust partnership between the public and private sector in terms of information sharing, cooperation and thought exchange. It’s not ideal to be exchanging business cards in the middle of an incident; it’s very useful to develop those relationships in advance. The secondary [goal] is to make sure that entities are aware of the cybersecurity resources available to them. … Oftentimes, we find that municipalities and smaller organizations … are very reticent about cybersecurity in terms of the investment monetarily … and aren’t always aware of the breadth of resources that are available to them at no cost through … public and private means.

What is the biggest challenge?

[Cybercriminals] generally gravitate toward targets of opportunity. New Hampshire has a number of very small towns and small businesses, and oftentimes those smaller entities don’t have the budget to put together a robust cybersecurity program. Oftentimes, there’s a misconception … smaller entities [have]: ‘Why would anybody want to attack us?’ The truth of the matter is, to a cybercriminal who’s after monetary gain, the size of the organization doesn’t matter. If it’s an easy buck, they’ll take the easy buck. So one of the challenges I have is [increasing] the knowledge that … the size of an organization doesn’t always [factor] into [cybercriminals’] targeting decisions.

Has Covid contributed to cybersecurity threats?

Early on during the pandemic, we saw the cyberthreat environment really ramp up, the reason being that most organizations weren’t prepared for a near-100-percent remote work environment. You had a lot of smaller businesses and organizations that don’t traditionally have people working from home having to employ remote access solutions to their networks, and when you’re trying to do something in haste, oftentimes, unfortunately, security doesn’t always take a front seat. We saw a lot of [criminals] … looking to take advantage of that situation where we didn’t always have security at the forefront.

How can New Hampshire residents protect themselves and their families from cybersecurity threats?

They can create strong passwords for their home WiFi network … as well as email accounts and social media. … If you have a simple password, like a dictionary word or something that can be easily guessed, like your pet’s name … [cybercriminals] could enable a password cracker [that uses] algorithms to guess your password. … You want to use passwords that are more complex, that aren’t dictionary words, that can’t be easily guessed, and that involve uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters.

Featured photo: Rick Rossi. Courtesy photo.

News & Notes 22/01/13

Covid-19 update As of Jan 3 As of Jan 10
Total cases statewide 203,749 223,599
Total current infections statewide 8,785 17,208
Total deaths statewide 1,973 2,027
New cases 9,279 (Dec. 28 to Jan. 3) 19,850 (Jan. 4 to Jan. 10)
Current infections: Hillsborough County 2,953 5,599
Current infections: Merrimack County 863 1,791
Current infections: Rockingham County 1,863 3,562
Information from the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services.

Covid-19 news

During the state’s weekly public health update on Jan. 6, state epidemiologist Dr. Benjamin Chan reported that New Hampshire averaged about 1,500 new infections of Covid-19 per day over the previous week. Just two days prior, the total number of deaths attributed to the virus crossed the 2,000 mark. “In the last week, we have been averaging about nine to 10 new people dying from Covid-19 each day in our state,” Chan said, adding that the majority of the deaths have been occurring in the community rather than in long-term care facilities.

Chan also announced new updated isolation and quarantine guidance, which includes recommendations adapted from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. The guidance breaks down details of recommended action for anyone who may have been exposed to Covid, either in the community or from another person in their shared household. According to Chan, the guidance applies to the general public, including workplaces and K-through-12 schools. It does not apply to health care settings, correctional institutions or homeless shelters. Go to covid19.nh.gov to view the guidance documents.

Gov. Chris Sununu also announced during the press conference that the state will be deploying an additional 100 members of its National Guard — about 30 of them will be deployed to long-term care facilities, while the other 70 will be helping out at local hospitals. Sununu had previously announced the deployment of 70 National Guard members back on Dec. 8.

On Jan. 7, Sununu visited Elliot Hospital in Manchester to welcome a team of active-duty service members from the federal Department of Defense. According to a press release, the team is composed of medics, nurses, administrative support and a physician and is expected to remain at Elliot Hospital until the beginning of February.

Open enrollment

New Hampshire Navigator, a nonprofit that offers assistance for accessing health coverage, is reminding people that Saturday, Jan. 15, is the deadline for residents to enroll in the Health Insurance Marketplace. According to a press release, anyone who misses the open enrollment period may not be able to get coverage until 2023. It is available to anyone who is not eligible for Medicare, Medicaid or employer-based insurance. The American Rescue Plan has made it easier for New Hampshire residents to get affordable coverage, the release said, and the number of consumers getting coverage for $10 or less per month after tax credits has nearly doubled. “Most people will be able to qualify for substantially lower costs this year if they get their insurance on the Marketplace,” said Jeremy Smith, program director for New Hampshire Navigator. “We are really urging people to look at the new plans and prices that are being released this year. In a lot of cases, the plans are more affordable than we have ever seen.” Anyone who needs help learning about their options or signing up can reach New Hampshire Navigator at 931-3858 or acanavigator.com.

Activists arrested

Four activists were arrested by Bow police on Jan. 8 after they entered the property of Merrimack Generating Station, the last coal-fired power plant in New England, around 4 p.m., while it was operating, and remained there for more than six hours. According to a press release, two of the activists locked themselves to the base of the inactive smokestack while the other two scaled the smokestack and dropped a banner that read, “Shut It Down.” They called on the owners of the plant to file a delist bid at an upcoming auction, the outcome of which will determine which power plants will be granted ratepayer funding to be on standby for New England’s electric grid. The owners did not agree to the demands, and the activists were arrested around 10:30 p.m., then released around midnight, with a court date to follow. No Coal, No Gas, a campaign launched in 2019 to end the burning of fossil fuels in New England, has claimed responsibility for organizing the activism. “We are determined to do what must be done to prevent this plant from running, even if that means we have to shut it down ourselves,” campaign coordinator Leif Taranta said in a public statement. “By our actions today, we sent a clear message that we are going to do everything we can to shut this coal plant down and pave the way for a better, more just future.”

Eviction extension

A proposal up for consideration at the Statehouse this year would, if passed, require New Hampshire landlords who are planning to repair, renovate or sell their properties, to give their current tenants more time to find new places to live before evicting them, NHPR reported. The New Hampshire law as it is currently written does not clearly regulate such evictions, leading many landlords to file the evictions under the catchall category of “other good cause,” giving tenants 30 days to vacate. The proposed bill would create new, more specific categories for eviction filings, with regulations for how landlords can proceed with those evictions. In the case of evictions related to non-emergency repairs, renovations or selling of the property, the length of time tenants are given to vacate would be increased from 30 to 90 days.

Teacher negotiations

The Nashua Board of Education Negotiating Team and the Nashua Teachers Union were unable to reach an agreement regarding the Union’s request for salary increases for its teachers, the former group reported. The contract proposed by the BoE Negotiating Team offered to increase each teacher’s salary by more than $3,300, with a minimum salary increase of $8,400 for top step teachers, effective immediately; increase compensation for school nurses; and adjust how starting pays are calculated according to prior work experience; while requesting that the NTU fully cover the NTU president’s salary, health insurance and other compensations without financial assistance from the Nashua School District, of which the NTU president is not an employee. According to the BoE Negotiating Team, the NTU did not agree to the terms, and the BoE Negotiating Team stated its intention to continue pursuing a successfully negotiated contract.

Student ID cards

On Jan. 11, Gov. Chris Sununu sent a letter to the Education Committee in support of Senate Bill 234, which would require schools that issue student identification cards to include the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline or their own mental health support helpline on the cards. According to the letter, the requirement would also apply to institutions of higher learning within the state but will not require grades six through 12 public schools to issue student identification cards if they do not already do so.

Squam Lakes Natural Science Center in Holderness will soon run mainly on solar power; according to a press release, a 139kW solar photovoltaic array is being built in two phases, and when it’s complete it will generate enough power to offset nearly all the Science Center’s electric needs. The solar array could save about $26,000 in electricity costs annually and more than 250,000 pounds of CO2 emissions, the release said.

Atticus, a 10-year-old certified pet therapy dog, spent time with staff and patients at Concord Hospital – Laconia last week. The visit was to introduce the Laconia branch to Concord Hospital’s Pets Uplift People program, according to a press release.

The Plains Cemetery in Kingston, established circa 1725, has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. According to a press release, Josiah Bartlett (1729-1795), the first constitutional governor of New Hampshire and second signer of the Declaration of Independence, is buried there. The cemetery’s most elaborate pedestal monument belongs to Major Edward S. Sanborn, a Kingston native who funded the Sanborn Seminary and donated to several local churches and public improvements in the 1880s — and who earned his fortune as the proprietor of several prostitution houses in Boston.

Framing the discussion

by Fred Bramante

The subject of critical race theory (CRT) has been raised and fought over in school districts all over our country. Many parents, teachers and school board members are interested in finding a way to teach American history that includes our shortcomings. For over a year, this challenge has divided communities, often resulting in threats and even outright violence. Those arguing for a more accurate history curriculum often appear as trying to make America look bad, make white folks look bad, and instill guilt in schoolchildren. While I am no expert on CRT, I am a proud American who believes that there needs to be a way to discuss this important issue in which everybody stays at the table. I believe I have a solution. I am proposing the development of a curriculum for teaching about race and equity issues that is rooted in American pride.

I am a first-generation Italian-American whose ancestors and millions of other immigrants have been greeted by the Statue of Liberty since 1884, less than two decades after the Civil War was fought over ending slavery, with the words “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free.” These words make me proud of my country and how it was rooted in principles of liberty and justice for all. That original ideal seems to play little or no role in CRT curriculum debates.

What if conversations were wrapped in America’s unending efforts to “form a more perfect union”?

I am proud that the basic concept that is America starts with “all men are created equal,” despite the fact that many of the authors of those amazing founding documents did not live up to those sacred words. But the fact that they, in essence, carved those words in stone for generations of Americans to live up to has moved the nation and the world in an ever more fair, diverse and equitable direction.

America has a long history of moving the moral universe, not only with its personal struggles over issues of racial equity but with women’s rights, LGBTQ rights and the promotion of human rights all over the world. Are America and the world where we want them to be, yet? Hell, NO! But, I, for one, am proud of America’s ongoing influence and leadership on these issues, and that’s a conversation that I believe we can have, warts included, with all of our citizens. It’s not a conversation rooted in American shame, but one rooted in American pride.

Fred Bramante is a past chairman and memtber of the New Hampshire State Board of Education. He speaks and consults on education redesign to regional, state and national organizations.

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