“I lose sleep if there’s a weakness that can be exploited. It’s a matter of life and death.””

Lorne Green, Sullivan County’s chief information officer

SULLIVAN COUNTY, NY— Cybersecurity breaches stall emergency communications and the responses of lifesaving personnel. They disseminate residents’ highly sensitive personal information. Counties all over the United States are targets of cyberattacks coming from countries like Russia, China, and Iran.

“A lot of it is life or death stuff,” said Lorne Green, Sullivan County’s chief information officer. Their magnitude cannot be underestimated. Just because we can’t see cybersecurity attacks doesn’t mean they pose less of a risk, he said. A breach can interrupt the work of dispatchers and calls from homebound patients.

For this reason, Sullivan County will join a statewide cybersecurity initiative that will provide greater monitoring of its systems, one of the first two counties in the state to do so.

“I give credit to the State of New York for actually initiating and spearheading this solution,” Green told the River Reporter.

Cybersecurity is only as effective as the individual employees doing the monitoring. “Seventy-six percent of the time, no one is working,” said Green. During these lapses, Sullivan County’s cybersystems are extremely vulnerable.

The state program will significantly improve oversight. With this program, there are “actually human beings behind the screen...that are analyzing and will be manning this security operation center 24/7 365,” Green said.

One state, $777 million lost

FBI data shows that more than 25,000 New Yorkers were victims of cybercrime in 2022. This resulted in $777 million in losses, according to Cybersecurity Dive, which covers the industry. 

Nearby Suffolk County is still dealing with the aftermath of a cyberattack that cost millions to investigate and $9 million more to bring the county’s cybersecurity systems up to date. Fitch Rating said Suffolk’s lack of cyber insurance posed a risk to its communities, which have little ability to curb the financial losses caused by the breach. 

The program is already active in five cities: Albany, Buffalo, Syracuse, Rochester, and Yonkers. Green said he’s heard nothing but positive feedback from them about the rollout. Another 54 counties in New York have signed on, he said.

The system will also allow for reporting among counties and cities. The information from one affected county will be used to detect and prevent similar occurrences in other counties. 

Nothing out of pocket

Sullivan County is currently not paying for the service, and no money has been allocated from the county budget. The program is funded by the state. As an early adoptor, Sullivan is uniquely positioned. “We are at the threshold of helping the state put together the solution for the benefit of the rest of the county,” Green said. “There will be a more in-depth involvement upfront for us and Tompkins County as the first two.”

Is centralizing cybersecurity for almost an entire state risky? Green is not concerned.

“The way the state is setting up the system, it’s not all in one location,” he said.

Initial plans were to have one location in Brooklyn, but New York has opened another location in Albany and is looking for another in Western New York. With three locations “there will be redundancy built in and it won’t be as much of a concern as when they only had one location.”

New York serves as a financial epicenter of the world, which makes protecting its cybersecurity critical. This is the first comprehensive cybersecurity plan New York has undertaken.

Green is eager to get started.

“I lose sleep,” he said. “I lose sleep if there’s a weakness that can be exploited. It’s a matter of life and death.”