State’s new cybersecurity task force holds first meeting today

Idaho’s new Cybersecurity Cabinet Task Force holds its first meeting this afternoon, chaired by Lt. Gov. Brad Little, who says the group will take “a pro-active approach to gathering all of the information needed to keep Idaho’s infrastructure safe from opportunists looking to hack and exploit our systems.” Said Little, “We are assembling a group of experts to provide us with the right insights to protect, defend and mitigate against cybersecurity threats on our citizens.”

The meeting starts at 1:30 in the Lincoln Auditorium; it also will be streamed online here . Gov. Butch Otter formed the group by executive order, saying Idaho needs to be more vigilant as cybersecurity threats grow. The agenda is online here ; it includes reports from five state constitutional officers: Secretary of State Lawerence Denney, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, state Controller Brandon Woolf, state Treasurer Ron Crane, and state Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra.

In addition to Little, the task force includes representatives of the Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security, Idaho Transportation Department, Department of Health and Welfare, Idaho State Police, Tax Commission and state universities.