HomeMy WebLinkAboutAGENDA REPORT 2020 0902 CCSA REG ITEM 10ECITY OF MOORPARK, CALIFORNIA
City Council Meeting
of September 2, 2020
ACTION Approved Staff Recommendation.
BY B.Garza.
E. Consider Response to the Ventura County Grand Jury 2019-2020 Final Report
on Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County. Staff Recommendation:
Approve the draft response to the Grand Jury report findings and
recommendations and authorize the Mayor to sign and submit the response to
the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court. (Staff: Kambiz Borhani)
Item: 10.E.
MOORPARK CITY COUNCIL
AGENDA REPORT
TO: Honorable City Council
FROM: Kambiz Borhani, Finance Director
BY: Chris Thompson, Senior Information Systems Analyst
DATE: 09/02/2020 Regular Meeting
SUBJECT: Consider Response to the Ventura County Grand Jury 2019-2020
Final Report on Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County
SUMMARY
On May 21, 2020, the City received the 2019-2020 Grand Jury Final Report on
Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County. This report requires a response
from the City on a specific form included in the documents received.
BACKGROUND / DISCUSSION
The Ventura County Grand Jury investigated the cybersecurity strategies of the 10
incorporated cities (Cities) of Ventura County. The review was initiated as recent
national and local news reported cities falling victim to hacking attacks with increasing
frequency. Often attackers used malware to block access to a city’s computer systems
and demanded payment to unblock them. The Grand Jury assessed how prepared
each city was to defend against data breaches and ransomware and identified
opportunities to implement improvements. The Grand Jury was mindful not to disclose
vulnerabilities or otherwise increase the potential for an attack on an information
technology system of a city. The Grand Jury recognized that each city had varying
circumstances, resources, and readiness and that there is no perfect solution to
cybersecurity or defense against cyberattacks.
The Grand Jury recommended the following measures:
•Implement trustworthy website addresses
•Use free federal services for cyber risk assessments, cybersecurity evaluations,
incident assistance coordination, and cyber exercises/training
•Use cooperative group purchase programs
Item: 10.E.
264
Honorable City Council
09/02/2020 Regular Meeting
Page 2
•Partner with local educational institutions and federal programs to recruit
cybersecurity interns or graduating students
•Require cyber liability insurance of the Cities’ IT vendors
•Develop and test cyber incident response, disaster recovery, and business
continuity plans
•Implement federal cybersecurity best practices
•Implement the California Cyber Security Integration Guidance for Teleworkers
The City’s draft Response to the Grand Jury Report is attached for review and approval.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact associated with providing a response to the Grand Jury or
implementing any of the recommendations provided in the report.
COUNCIL GOAL COMPLIANCE
This action does not support a current strategic directive.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Approve the draft response to the Grand Jury report findings and recommendations and
authorize the Mayor to sign and submit the response to the Presiding Judge of the
Superior Court.
Attachment 1: Response to Grand Jury Report Form - Cybersecurity
Attachment 2: 2019-2020 Ventura County Grand Jury Final Report Cybersecurity
Strategies for Cities in Ventura County
265
Response to Grand Jury Report Form
Report Title: Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County
Report Date: September 2, 2020
Response by: Janice S. Parvin Title: Mayor – City of Moorpark
FINDINGS/ CONCLUSIONS
•I (we) agree with the Facts/ Conclusions numbered: C 01-08 and FA 01-31
•I (we) disagree wholly or partially with the Facts/ Conclusions numbered:
(Attach a statement specifying any portions of the Facts/ Conclusions that are disputed;
including an explanation of the reasons.)
RECOMMENDATIONS
•Recommendations numbered R-01, 02, 03, 04, 05, 06, R07, 08, 10 have been
implemented.
(Attach a summary describing the implemented actions and date completed.)
•Recommendations number R-09 have not yet been implemented,
but will be implemented in the future.
(Attach a time frame for the implementation.
•Recommendations numbered requires further analysis.
•Recommendations numbered will not be implemented because
they are not warranted or are not reasonable.
Date: Signed:
Janice S. Parvin, Mayor
City of Moorpark
Number of pages attached:
ATTACHMENT 1
266
Response to Conclusions
Conclusion C-01. While the Grand Jury recognizes each city is taking steps to
implement cybersecurity and to defend against cyber-attacks, it concludes there is no
perfect solution to cybersecurity or defense against cyber-attacks. (FA-01, FA-02, FA-
03, FA-04, FA-05, FA-06, FA-07)
City Response to C-01. The City of Moorpark agrees with this conclusion and
continuously strives to improve upon our cyber security systems.
Conclusion C-02. The Grand Jury concluded eight Cities are currently using
suboptimal web addresses for their websites. (FA-08, FA-09)
City Response to C-02. The City of Moorpark agrees with this conclusion and
has already implemented a .gov domain which aligns with the recommendation.
Conclusion C-03. The Grand Jury concluded generally Cities are not utilizing free
federal and discounted federally aligned resources available to Cities to bolster their
cybersecurity defenses. (FA-10, FA-11, FA-12, FA-13, FA-14, FA-15, FA-16, FA-17, FA-
18, FA-19, FA-20)
City Response to C-03. The City of Moorpark agrees with this conclusion and
will investigate our options to take advantage of resources available. We are
already a member of MISAC and receive notifications from CISA.
Conclusion C-04. The Grand Jury concluded cybersecurity staffing could be improved
with more effective recruiting and staff retention practices. (FA-21, FA-22, FA-23)
City Response to C-04. The City of Moorpark agrees with this conclusion and
has limited budget and resources available. We are exploring our options for
internship programs by September 30, 2020.
Conclusion C-05. The Grand Jury concluded Cities should manage cyber risks
associated with vendors by requiring they provide annual documentation regarding
cybersecurity insurance and cybersecurity practices. (FA-24, FA-25, FA-30, FA-31)
City Response to C-05. The City of Moorpark agrees with this conclusion and
already requires Cyber liability insurance from IT vendors.
Conclusion C-06. The Grand Jury concluded some Cities do not clearly identify
expenditures regarding information technology or cybersecurity in their budgets. (FA-26,
FA-27)”
City Response to C-06. The City of Moorpark agrees with this conclusion and
does identify information technology expenditures within our approved annual
budget.
267
Conclusion C-07. The Grand Jury concluded all Cities would benefit from
comprehensive cyber incident response, recovery, and business continuity plans. (FA-
28, FA-29)
City Response to C-07. The City of Moorpark agrees with this conclusion and
plans to address and compile a comprehensive written plan by December 31,
2020.
Conclusion C-08. The Grand Jury concluded some Cities are not following the
recommended best practices for teleworking published by California Cyber Security
Integration Center. (FA-03, FA-04)
City Response to C-08. The City of Moorpark agrees with this conclusion.
Before the “Stay Safe at Home” orders due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the city
did not have any telework staff. We have since began implementing remote work
for select staff and have developed a Telecommute policy that adheres to the
recommended best practices.
Response to Recommendations
Recommendation R-01. The Grand Jury recommends Cities establish secure web
addresses through the use of HTTPS or other such protocols. (C-02)
City Response to R-01. The City of Moorpark uses HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer
Protocol Secure) for all internal and external web sites. This practice began prior
to 2011.
Recommendation R-02. The Grand Jury recommends Cities establish trustworthy web
addresses by following the California Department of Technology domain name
taxonomy guidance. (C-02)
City Response to R-02. The City of Moorpark uses a .gov domain name and
has registered https://www.moorparkca.gov/ through the dotgov.gov registry.
This practice began in 2011.
Recommendation R-03. The Grand Jury recommends Cities utilize free federal and
federally aligned cybersecurity services as set forth in Appendix 02 to supplement
internal staff and/or replace vendor services whenever possible. (C-03)
City Response to R-03. The City of Moorpark uses free cybersecurity tools and
will expand on the tools and offerings as recommended. Timeline: December 31,
2020.
268
Recommendation R-04. The Grand Jury recommends Cities' IT staff subscribe to CISA
updates online. (C-03)
City Response to R-04. The City of Moorpark Information System staff currently
subscribes to CISA updates. This practice began in 2008.
Recommendation R-05. The Grand Jury recommends Cities take advantage of
discounted services and cooperative purchasing programs whenever possible. (C-03)
Response to R-05. The City of Moorpark leverages cooperative purchase
agreements whenever possible. This practice began prior to 1999.
Recommendation R-06. The Grand Jury recommends Cities develop personnel cost-
saving opportunities and create a cybersecurity talent pool by recruiting interns or
graduating students using: (C-04)
•The Scholarships for Service program described in Appendix 02
•Local education institutions (high school, community college, private college and
state university)
City Response to R-06. The City of Moorpark began the process to accept
internships from the Ventura County Community College District and will consider a
candidate when a position opens up that requires cybersecurity skills. This practice
began in February 2020.
Recommendation R-07. The Grand Jury recommends Cities maintain good vendor
management by: (C-03, C-05)
a.Obtaining CISA assistance to conduct risk management assessments on all
third-party vendors that have access to any confidential data or that interact with
City networks and systems
b.Requiring all vendors provide cybersecurity documentation. As part of their
ongoing third-party due diligence, Cities should evaluate vendors for compliance
and risk on an annual basis
c.Requiring IT vendors obtain cybersecurity insurance.
City Response to R-07.
The City of Moorpark agrees with this recommendation and will explore CISA
assistance in risk management of IT vendors and begin reviewing on an annual
basis. The City already requires all IT service vendors to obtain cybersecurity
insurance. The practice began prior to 2018.
Recommendation R-08. The Grand Jury recommends Cities clearly identify expenses
for their Information Services (Technology) Departments in their approved budgets. (C
06)
City Response to R-08. The City of Moorpark identifies expenses for
Information Services in the approved budget and uses an ERP Financial
Software to track and record expenditures.
269
Recommendation R-09. The Grand Jury recommends Cities develop and test cyber
incident response, recovery and business continuity plans. (C-07)
City Response to R-09. The City of Moorpark will develop and test a cyber-
incident response. Timeline: December 31, 2020. Recovery and business
continuity plan are currently tested on a regular and ongoing-basis.
Recommendation R-10. The Grand Jury recommends Cities implement the best
practices for teleworking as published by the California Cyber Security Integration
Center. (C-08)
City Response to R-10. The City of Moorpark has initiated best practices into
our telecommuting agreement and guidelines. This practice began in April 2020.
Recommendation R-11. The Grand Jury recommends Cities develop a written plan for
implementation of R-01 through R-10 prior to December 31, 2020.
City Response to R-11. The City of Moorpark agrees with this recommendation
and will develop a written plan for any of the recommended items that are not
already in place. Timeline: December 31, 2020.
270
county of ventura
May 21 , 2020
Confidential
Janice Parvin, Mayor
City Council, City of Moorpark
799 Moorpark A venue
Moorpark, CA 93021
Dear Mayor Parvin:
Grand Jury
800 South Victoria Avenue
Ventura , CA 93009
(805 ) 477-1600
Fa x: (805 ) 658-4523
grandjury .countyofventura .org
RECEIVED
MAY 2 1 2020
ClTY CLERK'S DIVISIOij
CITY OF MOORPARK
The Ventura County Grand Jury has completed the attached report titled Cybersecurity Strategies for
Cities in Ventura County. This copy of the report is being provided to you two days in advance of its
public release, as required by California Penal Code §933.05 (f), which states:
A grand jury shall provide to the affected agency a copy of the portion of the grand jury report
relating to that person or entity two working days prior to its public release and after the
approval of the presiding judge. No officer, agency, department, or governing body of a public
agency shall disclose any contents of the report prior to the public release of the final report.
Please check the last page of text of the report for the timing of your response, if any, as required by the
Penal Code. Section 933.05 of the Penal Code is attached for your reference. Also attached is a form for
your responses to Grand Jury findings, conclusions and recommendations.
Please keep in mind that this report must be kept confidential until its public release by the Grand Jury .
Respectful 1 y ,
'-
Anida Margolis , Foreperson
2019-2020 Ventura County Grand Jury
ATTACHMENT 2
271
California Penal Code Section 933.05
(a) For purposes of subdivision (b) of Section 933, as to each grand jury finding, the
responding person or entity shall indicate one of the following:
(1) The respondent agrees with the finding.
(2) The respondent disagrees wholly or partially with the finding, in which case the
response shall specify the portion of the finding that is disputed and shall include an
explanation of the reasons therefor.
(b) For purposes of subdivision (b) of Section 933, as to each grand jury
recommendation, the responding person or entity shall report one of the following
actions:
(1) The recommendation has been implemented, with a summary regarding the
implemented action.
(2) The recommendation has not yet been implemented, but will be implemented in
the future, with a timeframe for implementation.
(3) The recommendation requires further analysis, with an explanation and the scope
and parameters of an analysis or study, and a timeframe for the matter to be
prepared for discussion by the officer or head of the agency or department being
investigated or reviewed, including the governing body of the public agency when
applicable. This timeframe shall not exceed six months from the date of publication of
the grand jury report.
( 4) The recommendation will not be implemented because it is not warranted or is not
reasonable, with an explanation therefor.
(c) However, if a finding or recommendation of the grand jury addresses budgetary or
personnel matters of a county agency or department headed by an elected officer, both
the agency or department head and the board of supervisors shall respond if requested
by the grand jury, but the response of the board of supervisors shall address only those
budgetary or personnel matters over which it has some decision-making authority. The
response of the elected agency or department head shall address all aspects of the
findings or recommendations affecting his or her agency or department.
(d) A grand jury may request a subject person or entity to come before the grand jury
for the purpose of reading and discussing the findings of the grand jury report that
relates to that person or entity in order to verify the accuracy of the findings prior to
their release.
(e) During an investigation, the grand jury shall meet with the subject of that
investigation regarding the investigation, unless the court, either on its own
determination or upon request of the foreperson of the grand jury, determines that
such a meeting would be detrimental.
(f) A grand jury shall provide to the affected agency a copy of the portion of the grand
jury report relating to that person or entity two working days prior to its public release
and after the approval of the presiding judge. No officer, agency, department, or
governing body of a public agency shall disclose any contents of the report prior to the
public release of the final report.
272
county of ventura
Grand Jury
800 Sout h Vi cto ria Avenue
Ventura , CA 93009
(805 ) 477-1600
Fa x: (805 ) 658-4523
grand ju ry .countyofventura .org
Response to Grand Jury Report Form
Report Title-;
Report Date :
Response by:
FINDINGS/ CONCLUSIONS
Title:
• I (we) agree with the Facts/ Conclusions numbered: _____________ _
• I (we) disagree wholly or partially with the Facts/ Conclusions numbered:
(Attach a statement specifying any portions of the Facts/ Conclusions that are disputed ;
including an explanation of the reasons .)
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Recommendations numbered ________ have been implemented.
(Attach a summary describing the implemented actions and date completed.)
• Recommendations number _______ have not yet been implemented , but will be
implemented in the future .
(Attach a time frame for the implementation .)
• Recommendations numbered ___________ require further analysis.
• Recommendations numbered ___________ will not be impl emented because
they are not warranted or are not reasonable .
Date : -------Signed : ______________ _
Number of pages attached: ___ _
273
2019 -2020
Ventura County Grand Jury
Final Report
Cybersecurity Strategies
for Cities in Ventura County
April 17, 2020
274
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275
2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand .Jury Final Report
Cybersecu rity Strategies
for Cities in Ventura County
Summary
During 2019 targeted cyberattacks on local governments increased across the
nation. Half resulted in ransomware demands. As the reports of these attacks on
cities unfolded, it became clear that better preparation could have assisted those
cities to avoid major and costly data breaches.
Due to the cha[lenges of limited budgets, increasing cybersecurity attacks, the
digital revolution and a competitive recruiting environment, cities would benefit
from free or low cost federal government backed assistance to defend against
these challenges.
Within Ventura County (County) there are 10 incorporated cities (Cities). The
2019-2020 Ventura County Grand Jury (Grand Jury) investigated cybersecurity
strategies of the Cities to assess the degree each City was prepared to defend
against data breaches and ransomware and identify opportunities to implement
improvements. The Grand Jury is mindful of the need not to disclose
vulnerabilities of, or otherwise increase the potential for an attack on, an
information technology system of a City. Therefore, this report does not detail
any specific cybersecurity vulnerabilities that may have been discovered during
the Grand Jury's investigation.
Since each City has varying circumstances, resources and readiness, the Grand
Jury recognizes there is no perfect solution to cybersecurity or defense against
cyberattacks. The Grand Jury recommends the following measures be adopted
to bolster the Cities' cybersecurity and potentially decrease cybersecurity
expenditures:
• Implement trustworthy website addresses
• Use free federal services for cyber risk assessments, cybersecurity
evaluations, incident assistance coordination and cyber exercises/training
• Use cooperative group purchase programs
• Partner with local educational institutions and federal programs to recruit
cybersecurity interns or graduating students
• Require cyber liability insurance of the Cities' IT vendors
• Develop and test cyber incident response, disaster recovery and business
continuity plans
• Implement federal cybersecurity best practices
• Implement the California Cyber Security Integration Guidance for
Teleworkers
Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County 1
276
2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand .Jury Final Report
While the Grand Jury investigation focused on the Cities, it suggests that similar
strategies be considered by the County government and its agencies as well as
independent districts. These include libraries, community colleges, county
hospitals, schools and harbor, airport and water districts.
Background
Recent national and local news reporting alerted the Grand Jury to cities across
the United States falling victim to hacking attacks with increasing frequency.
Often attackers used malware to block access to a city's computer systems and
demanded payment to unblock them. (Ref-01)
Cyberattacks
Attackers often target small organizations that have few resources to defend
themselves. This can apply to cities, school districts, libraries, water districts,
harbors and airports. (Ref-02, Ref-03) In 2019 at least 140 local government
agencies nationwide were hit by ransomware. (Ref-04)
One published study reported more than 50 ransomware attacks against cities
between January and June of 2019. Half of the victims were cities with fewer
than 50,000 residents. (Ref-01) Cyberattacks against cities increased during the
latter half of the year. In December alone malware attacks resulted in disruption
of essential services in the cities of Pensacola, Florida; New Orleans, Louisiana;
Galt, California; and St. Lucie, Florida. (Ref-OS)
Nationally, 44% of local governments reported that they experienced
cyberattacks on an hourly or daily basis. However, 28% of local governments
did not know how often they were attacked, 41 % did not know how often they
were breached and 54% did not catalog or count attacks. (Ref-02)
Cities and attackers are in a never-ending game of cat and mouse as malware
techniques constantly change to evade defenses.
2
• As local governments increasingly back-up electronic files to defend
against ransomware, more attacks involve Trojan horse malware. Trojan
horse malware lies dormant on networks and sets itself up to cause as
much damage as possible when the attack is triggered. The latent attack
often destroys the back-ups along with the targeted data, requiring IT
personnel to rebuild their systems.
• For some attackers, the Trojan horse attack is used as a diversionary
tactic. The malware enters a victim's network, remaining undetected for
weeks, while secretly stealing data and information. Then, the malware
launches a ransomware attack to distract incident response teams
regarding the attackers other activities. (Ref-06)
Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County
277
2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand .Jury Final Report
Attackers are expanding their targets to include the managed service providers
that many smaller communities use to supply their technology needs. (Ref-07)
In 2017 and 2018, an online bill payment services vendor for two Cities was
compromised by an outside attacker using malware. As a result, credit card
information was stolen and used for fraudulent charges. (Ref-08)
Some attackers target electronic devices directly, infecting USB drives during
production. When users buy the infected products and plug them into their
computers, malware is automatically installed.
If a person can physically access a computer, they may use their own USB drive
to steal information directly from that computer. Another security risk related to
the use of USB drives is they are easily lost or stolen. If the information on the
drive was not encrypted, anyone in possession of the USB drive would have
access to the data on it. (Ref-09)
Costs of Cyberattacks
Costs of cyberattacks to victimized cities arise in numerous ways: operational
downtime to government services (e.g. police, emergency response, fire and tax
collection), citizen frustration with lack of services and financial impact. (Ref-10)
With no options left for recovery, some victimized public entities resorted to
paying the attackers. The largest known single payout in a ransomware attack in
2019 was by the city of Riviera Beach, Florida. Officials approved a $600,000
payment in Bitcoins to an attacker who seized control of its computers. (Ref-04)
In addition to ransom, there can be significant recovery costs. In just one
example, Pensacola, Florida was hit with a ransomware attack in early
December 2019. Although most of the data was quickly recovered, fearing a
Trojan horse malware, city officials paid a professional services firm $140,000 to
assess how the attack occurred, whether malware remained in the city's
network and if data was compromised during the incident. (Ref-11)
As insurance companies for local governments pay ransom demands, attacker
ransomware demand amounts are increasing. Higher insurance premiums are
expected to follow. (Ref-12)
Local taxpayers are concerned. An IBM Security Study in 2019 found that a
majority of polled taxpayers throughout the United States see ransomware as a
threat to their personal data and their city's data. At the same time, nearly 60%
of U.S. citizens surveyed are against their local governments using tax dollars to
pay ransoms. (Ref-13)
Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County 3
278
2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand .Jury Final Report
Cyber Defenses
Appendix-04 to this report itemizes federal government recommendations for
preventative measures to protect local government computer networks from
falling victim to a malware infection. The Federal Government also recommends
taking preventative measures for handling USB drives. (Ref-09)
Cyber Risk Management
Many local government agencies operate in a server environment. As they seek
to improve government functions by using state-of-the-art platforms and tools
such as cloud computing, mobile devices and big data initiatives, there can be
increased exposure to attacks and additional public privacy risks. Local
government leaders will need to balance the risks and rewards of adopting
cloud, mobile and big data technologies. They also will need adequate
cybersecurity defenses if they are attacked, keeping public services running and
avoiding paying hefty ransom demands. (App-05)
With these issues in mind, the Grand Jury elected to focus on examining the
cybersecurity readiness of the Cities as they increasingly digitize government
services and functions. The circumstances and challenges for each City are
unique, so the solutions will vary.
Methodology
The Grand Jury obtained information from the following sources:
• Internet research to gather relevant information from a variety of
authoritative sources
• Interviews with local IT subject matter experts from September through
November 2019
• Interviews with City officials and IT personnel within the County from
October through November 2019
• Related documents provided by City officials
The Grand Jury's interview questions and document requests focused on the
"Five Functions of the Cybersecurity Framework" (Cybersecurity Framework).
This framework represents five key pillars of a successful and holistic
cybersecurity program as developed by the U.S. Department of Commerce and
used throughout the Federal government.
4 Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County
279
2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand Jury Final Report
The Five Functions of the Cybersecurity Framework
(Ref-14)
N•S1
National Institute of
Standards and Technology
U.S. Department of Commerce
The Ca li fornia Pub lic Records Act Government Code Section 6254.19 protects
from pub l ic d isc losure a record that wou ld revea l vu l nerab ili t ies to, or otherw ise
in crease t h e potentia l for an attack on, an i nformation tec hn o logy system of a
pub li c agency. Therefore, the Grand Jury's report does not deta il any spec if ic
cy bersecurity vu l nerab ili t ies that may have been discovered during the Grand
Jury's investigation. (Ref-15)
T h e Grand Jury appreciates the cooperation of loca l subject matter experts and
City staff i nterviewed in the course of the investigation.
Facts
City Cybersecurity Awareness & Preparation in the County
FA-01. Attackers often target sma ll organizations and cities that have few
resources to defend themse lves. (Ref-02, Ref-03)
FA-02. Cit i es are aware of the threat of cyberattacks and, to a vary i ng degree,
take active measures to reduce the risk in accordance with the
Cybersecurity Framework. (Ref-14)
FA-03. On March 13, 2020, the Ca lifornia Cyber Security Integration Center
issued a cybersecurity adv isory t it led Te leworki ng Qu ick Reference
Guide. The gu ide high lights some security concerns and best practices
end-users and network administrators shou ld cons ider when
imp lementing a te lework i ng program. (App-01)
FA-04. Not a ll Cities are imp lementing the te leworki ng best practices
recommended by the Ca lifornia Cyber Security Integration Center.
(Ref-16) (App-01)
FA-05. City managers and IT personne l provide ongoing cyber safety tra i n i ng
and encourage personne l to take advantage of that train i ng.
Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County 5
280
2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand .Jury Final Report
Collaboration within the County
FA-06. The Ventura County Executive Office created an informal network of City
IT managers, thereby collectively elevating the level of the Cities' IT
performance.
FA-07. City managers and IT personnel meet with their counterparts from other
Cities on a regular basis to collaborate regarding cyberattacks.
City Web Addresses (URLs)
FA-08. The California Department of Technology and the National League of
Cities recommend using .gov domain names and secure internet
protocols. (App-01)
FA-09. Nine out of ten Cities use HTTPS (Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure).
Two out of ten Cities have .gov domain names. (App-03)
Cybersecurity Resources
FA-10. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency
• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) designated the
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) to be the lead
federal department to provide cybersecurity assistance to State,
Local, Tribal and Territorial (SLTTs) government organizations.
(App-02)
• CISA provides SL TTs with a "one-stop shop" of free services for
cyber risk assessments, cybersecurity evaluations, incident
assistance coordination, cyber exercises/training and recommended
best practices. (App-02)
FA-11. Only one City uses any of the free CISA resources. That City uses only
one of the available resources.
FA-12. Among its many services, CISA operates the Protective Security Advisor
(PSA) Program. PSAs are OHS-trained critical infrastructure protection
and vulnerability mitigation subject matter experts. Upon request,
these experts provide free cybersecurity advice and assistance to
SLTTs. (App-02)
FA-13. Nine of the 10 Cities maintain their cyber infrastructure through the use
of internal staff and/or hiring vendors, in each case without taking
advantage of CISA assistance.
FA-14. By using just one free CISA service, the remaining City saved at least
$1,000 per month over five years. That City was not aware of the other
available free CISA services.
6 Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County
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2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand .Jury Final Report
FA-15. The DHS designated the nonprofit member driven Multi-State
Information Sharing & Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) as its partner for
sharing cybersecurity information with the SLTT governments. (App-02)
FA-16. MISAC also provides some fee-based cybersecurity services. (App-02)
FA-17. While all IT managers for the Cities are members of MISAC, less than
half are members of MS-ISAC. Furthermore, only three Cities' IT
personnel attended the MISAC 2019 Annual Conference. (Ref-17)
FA-18. Representatives from MS-ISAC provided information on available
Federal cybersecurity resources at the 2019 MISAC conference. (Ref-18)
FA-19. More than 90 California cities hold memberships in MS-ISAC~ two Cities
in the County are members. (Ref-19)
FA-20. Of those Cities that use servers, hybrid cloud and cloud platforms, few
take advantage of the cost-saving FedRAMP Moderate program to
contract with cloud providers. (App-02)
Partnerships with Local Educational Institutions
FA-21. Some Cities partner with local educational institutions to develop
internship opportunities and create a talent pool for cybersecurity or
information technology. Those that do employ cybersecurity interns
reported positive experiences and personnel cost savings.
FA-22. Three County higher educational institutions offer cybersecurity and
internship programs:
• California Lutheran University (Ref-20)
• California State University Channel Islands (Ref-21, Ref-22)
• Moorpark College (Ref-23)
Information Technology Department Staffing
FA-23. Some Cities have difficulty recruiting and retaining IT staff. Salaries and
benefits for City IT staff are not competitive with the private sector.
Cybersecurity Liability Insurance
FA-24. All Cities have cybersecurity liability insurance through the California
Joint Powers Insurance Authority or other insurers.
FA-25. In addition to recommending cyber liability insurance for cities, the
MISAC Security committee encourages MISAC members require their IT
vendors have cyber liability insurance. (Ref-24)
Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County 7
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2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand .Jury Final Report
City Budgets for Information Technology Services
FA-26. In reviews of budget documents, the Grand Jury found that five Cities
have Information Services/Technology Departments line items in their
adopted budgets. No City has a publicly viewable budget line item
specifically for cybersecurity. (App-03)
FA-27. Two of the Cities anticipate spending over $5 million on information
services in the upcoming budget year. (App-03)
Cyber Incident Response and Disaster Recovery Plans
FA-28. In 2018, a major provider of cybersecurity policies conducted a survey
of public and private-sector respondents. In that survey 91 % of
respondents were confident their companies had implemented best
practices to avoid a cyber event. Yet, 55% admitted not completing a
cyber-risk assessment, 62% had not developed a business continuity
plan and 63% had not completed a cyber-risk assessment on vendors
who have access to their data. (Ref-25)
FA-29. Not all Cities have comprehensive cyber incident response, recovery and
business continuity plans.
Vendor Management
FA-30. Business and Intellectual Property Attorney Lisa M. Thompson advised in
August 2019 that cities should defend against cybersecurity threats by
conducting risk management assessments on all third-party vendors
that have access to confidential data and interact with municipal
networks and systems. In addition, she stated that cities should require
all vendors provide security documentation. (Ref-26)
FA-31. Most Cities do not manage the cyber risk of third-party vendors.
Conclusions
C-01. While the Grand Jury recognizes each City is taking steps to implement
cybersecurity and to defend against cyberattacks, it concludes there is
no perfect solution to cybersecurity or defense against cyberattacks.
(FA-01, FA-02, FA-03, FA-04, FA-05, FA-06, FA-07)
C-02. The Grand Jury concluded eight Cities are currently using suboptimal
web addresses for their websites. (FA-08, FA-09)
C-03.
8
The Grand Jury concluded generally Cities are not utilizing free federal
and discounted federally aligned resources available to Cities to bolster
their cybersecurity defenses. (FA-10, FA-11, FA-12, FA-13, FA-14,
FA-15, FA-16, FA-17, FA-18, FA-19, FA-20)
Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County
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2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand .Jury Final Report
C-04. The Grand Jury concluded cybersecurity staffing could be improved with
more effective recruiting and staff retention practices. (FA-21, FA-22,
FA-23)
C-05. The Grand Jury concluded Cities should manage cyber risks associated
with vendors by requiring they provide annual documentation regarding
cybersecurity insurance and cybersecurity practices. (FA-24, FA-25,
FA-30, FA-31)
C-06. The Grand Jury concluded some Cities do not clearly identify
expenditures regarding information technology or cybersecurity in their
budgets. (FA-26, FA-27)
C-07. The Grand Jury concluded all Cities would benefit from comprehensive
cyber incident response, recovery and business continuity plans. (FA-28,
FA-29)
C-08. The Grand Jury concluded some Cities are not following the
recommended best practices for teleworking published by California
Cyber Security Integration Center (FA-03, FA-04)
Recommendations
R-01. The Grand Jury recommends Cities establish secure web addresses
through the use of HTTPS or other such protocols. (C-02)
R-02. The Grand Jury recommends Cities establish trustworthy web addresses
by following the California Department of Technology domain name
taxonomy guidance. (C-02)
R-03. The Grand Jury recommends Cities utilize free federal and federally
aligned cybersecurity services as set forth in Appendix 02 to supplement
internal staff and/or replace vendor services whenever possible. (C-03)
R-04. The Grand Jury recommends Cities' IT staff subscribe to CISA updates
online. (C-03)
R-05. The Grand Jury recommends Cities take advantage of discounted
services and cooperative purchasing programs whenever possible.
(C-03)
R-06. The Grand Jury recommends Cities develop personnel cost-saving
opportunities and create a cybersecurity talent pool by recruiting interns
or graduating students using: (C-04)
• The Scholarships for Service program described in Appendix 02
• Local education institutions (high school, community college,
private college and state university)
Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County 9
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2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand Jury Final Report
R-07. The Grand Jury recommends Cities maintain good vendor management
by: (C-03, C-05)
• Obtaining CISA assistance to conduct risk management
assessments on all third-party vendors that have access to any
confidential data or that interact with City networks and systems
• Requiring all vendors provide cybersecurity documentation. As part
of their ongoing third-party due diligence, Cities should evaluate
vendors for compliance and risk on an annual basis
• Requiring IT vendors obtain cybersecurity insurance.
R-08. The Grand Jury recommends Cities clearly identify expenses for their
Information Services (Technology) Departments in their approved
budgets. (C-06)
R-09. The Grand Jury recommends Cities develop and test cyber incident
response, recovery and business continuity plans. (C-07)
R-10. The Grand Jury recommends Cities implement the best practices for
teleworking as published by the California Cyber Security Integration
Center. (C-08)
R-11. The Grand Jury recommends Cities develop a written plan for
implementation of R-01 through R-10 prior to December 31, 2020.
Responses
Responses Required From:
City Council, City of Camarillo (C-01, C-02, C-03, C-04, C-05, C-06, C-07, C-08)
(R-01, R-02, R-03, R-04, R-05, R-06, R-07, R-08, R-09, R-10, R-11)
City Council, City of Fillmore (C-01, C-02, C-03, C-04, C-05, C-06, C-07, C-08)
(R-01, R-02, R-03, R-04, R-05, R-06, R-07, R-08, R-09, R-10, R-11)
City Council, City of Moorpark (C-01, C-02, C-03, C-04, C-05, C-06, C-07, C-08)
(R-01, R-02, R-03, R-04, R-05, R-06, R-07, R-08, R-09, R-10, R-11)
City Council, City of Ojai (C-01, C-02, C-03, C-04, C-05, C-06, C-07, C-08)
(R-01, R-02, R-03, R-04, R-05, R-06, R-07, R-08, R-09, R-10, R-11)
City Council, City of Oxnard (C-01, C-02, C-03, C-04, C-05, C-06, C-07, C-08)
(R-01, R-02, R-03, R-04, R-05, R-06, R-07, R-08, R-09, R-10, R-11)
City Council, City of Port Hueneme (C-01, C-02, C-03, C-04, C-05, C-06, C-07,
C-08) (R-01, R-02, R-03, R-04, R-05, R-06, R-07, R-08, R-09, R-10, R-11)
City Council, City of Santa Paula (C-01, C-02, C-03, C-04, C-05, C-06, C-07,
C-08) (R-01, R-02, R-03, R-04, R-05, R-06, R-07, R-08, R-09, R-10, R-11)
10 Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County
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2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand Jury Final Report
City Council, City of Simi Valley (C-01, C-02, C-03, C-04, C-05, C-06, C-07,
C-08) (R -01 R-02 R-03 R-04 R-05 R-06 R-07 R-08 R-09 R-10 R-11) f I I I I f I I I I
City Council, City of Thousand Oaks (C -01, C-02, C-03, C-04, C-05, C-06, C-07,
C-08) (R -01 R-02 R-03 R-04 R-05 R-06 R-07 R-08 R-09 R-10 R-11) f I I I I I I I I I
City Council, City of Ventura (C-01, C-02, C-03, C-04, C-05, C-06, C-07, C-08)
(R-01 R-02 R-03 R-04 R-05 R-06 R-07 R-08 R-09 R-10 R-11) I I I I I f I I I I
References
Ref-01. Shi, Flemming. Threat Spotlight: Government Ransomware Attacks.
Barracuda blog, August 28, 2019
https: //blog. barracuda .com/2019/08/28/threat-spotliqht-qovernment-
ra nsomwa re -attacks/
Accessed April 7, 2020
Ref-02. McGalliard, Tad . How Local Governments Can Prevent Cyberattacks.
New York Times, March 30, 2018
https: //www.nytimes .com/2018/03/30/ opinion/local -qovernment-
cyberattack. htm I
Accessed April 7, 2020
Ref-03. Nelson, Sarah. Report: Local Gov Cyberattacks Reach Critical Level.
Government Technology, December 18, 2019
https: //www.qovtech.com/security/Report-Local -Gov -Cyberattacks -
Reach -Critica I-Level. html
Accessed April 7, 2020
Ref-04. Kim, Allen. In the last 10 months, 140 local governments, police
stations and hospitals have been held hostage by ransomware attacks .
CNN, October 8, 2019
https: //www.cnn.com/2019/10/08/business/ra nsomware -attacks -
trnd/index. html
Accessed April 7, 2020
Ref-OS. Patterson, Dan. Four U.S . cities attacked by ransomware this month .
CBS News, December 17, 2019
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ransomware -attack -pensacola -
florida -4 -u -s -cities -attacked -by -ransomware -thi s-month -2019 -12-17 /
Accessed April 15, 2020
Ref-06. Ng, Alfred. Ransomware froze more cities in 2019. Next year is a toss -
up . CNET, December 5, 2019
https: //www.cnet.com/news/ransomware -devastated -cities -in -2019 -
officia Is -ho pe -to -stop -a-repeat -i n -20 2 0/
Accessed April 15, 2020
Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County 11
286
2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand .Jury Final Report
Ref-07. Freed, Benjamin. Ransomware Attacks Map chronicles a growing
threat. Statescoop, October 22, 2019
https://statescoop.com/ran somware -attacks -map -state -local -
government/
Accessed April 15, 2020
Ref-08. Whitnall, Becca. City's online payment system falls victim to hackers.
Thousand Oaks Acorn, November 8, 2018
https: //www. to acorn. com/articles/ citys -on Ii ne -payment-system -fal ls -
victi m -to-hackers/
Accessed April 15, 2020
Ref-09. CISA . Security Tip (ST08-001) Using Caution with USB Drives.
November 15, 2019
https: //www.us -cert.gov Incas/ti ps/ST 08 -001
Accessed April 15, 2020
Ref-10. Lohrmann, Dan. 2019: The Year Ransomware Targeted State & Local
Governments. Government Technology, December 23, 2019
https: //www.govtech .com/blogs/loh rma n n -on -cybersecurity/2019 -the -
yea r -ra nsomwa re -targeted -state --loca I-governments. html
Accessed April 15, 2020
Ref-11. Ropek, Lucas. Pensacola Hires Deloitte to Investigate Extent of
Cyberattack. Government Technology, December 19, 2019
https: //www .govtech .com/security/Pensacola -H ires -Deloitte -to -
I nvestig ate -Extent -of-Cyberattack. htm I
Accessed April 15, 2020
Ref-12. Ikeda, Scott. Ransomware Attacks Are Causing Cyber Insurance Rates
to Go Through the Roof; Premiums up as Much as 25 Percent. CPO
Magazine, February 10, 2020
https: //www.cpomagazine.com/ cyber-security/ra nsomware -attacks -
are-causing -cyber-insura nce -rate s-to -go -through -the -roof-premium s-
up -as -much -as -25 -percent/
Accessed April 15, 2020
Ref-13. IBM. IBM Security Study: Taxpayers Oppose Local Governments
Paying Hackers in Ransomware Attacks. September 5, 2019
https: //newsroom. ibm .com/2019-09-05 -IBM -Security -Study-
Taxpayers-Oppose -Local -Governments-Paying -Hackers -in -
Ransomware -Attacks
Accessed April 15, 2020
12 Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County
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2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand .Jury Final Report
Ref-14. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Institute of Standards and
Technology . Cybersecurity Framework, The Five Functions
https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework/online-learning/five-functions
Accessed April 17, 2020
Ref-15. California Public Records Act Government Code Section 6254.19
http: //leg info . legislature.ca .gov /faces/codes displaySection .xhtml?sec
tionNum =6254 .19&IawCode=GOV
Accessed April 17, 2020
Ref-16. California Cyber Security Integration Center. CYBERSECURITY
ADVISORY Teleworking Quick Reference Guide. March 13, 2020
https: //www .caloes.ca .gov /LawEnforcementSite/Documents/Cal-
CSIC Advisory Teleworking%20Guidance.pdf
Accessed April 17, 2020
Ref-17. Registration List . 2019 MISAC Annual Conference
https: //www.misac.org/ events/RSVPlist. aspx?id = 1243109
Accessed April 17, 2020
Ref-18. Vendors . 2019 MISAC Annual Conference
https: //www.misac.orq/paqe/VendorConflnfo2019
Accessed April 17, 2020
Ref-19. CIS. MS-ISAC Local Governments
https: //www. cisecu rity. orq/partners -local -qovernment/
Accessed April 17, 2020
Ref-20. California Lutheran University. Ca l Lutheran starts cybersecurity
program. September 20,2019
https: //www.callutheran.edu/news/story . html?id = 13865#story
Accessed April 17, 2020
Ref-21. California State University Channel Islands. Computer Science Program
-BS Information Technology
https: //compsci.csuci .edu/deqrees/bsit. htm
Accessed April 17, 2020
Ref-22. Ca liforni a State University Channel Islands. Computer Science Program
-Internships
https: // compsci. csuci. ed u/resou rces/internshi ps. htm
Accessed April 17, 2020
Ref-23. Moorpark College. Computer Science Curriculum
https://www .moorparkcolleqe.edu/faculty -and -staff /curriculum -
committee/course-outlines -of-record/computer-science -curriculum
Accessed April 17, 2020
Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County 13
288
2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand .Jury Final Report
Ref-24. MISAC. MISAC's New Security Committee Up and Running. July 6,
2018
https://www.misac.org/news/407088/MISACs -New-Security-
Committee -Up -and -Running.htm
Accessed April 17, 2020
Ref-25. Newcome, Tod. Cyber Insurance Evolves to Meet the Ransomware
Threat. Government Techno logy, October/November 2019
https: //www.govtech .com/security/Cyberinsurance -E volve s-to -Meet-
the -Ransomware -Threat. html
Accessed April 17, 2020
Ref-26. Thompson, Lisa. Cybersecurity Best Practices for Municipalities. New
Hampshire Municipal Association, August 2019
14
https: //www. n hm u n icipa I .org/town -city -article/ cybersecurity -bes t-
practices -mun icipa lities
Accessed April 7, 2020
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Glossary
TERM DEFINITION
Attacker Any individual or organization who attempts to destroy,
expose, alter, disable, steal or gain unauthorized access
to or make unauthorized use of an asset.
Big Data A field that treats ways to analyze, systematically extract
information from or otherwise deal with data sets that
are too large or complex to be dealt with by traditional
data-processing application software.
Bitcoin(s) A decentralized digital currency without a central bank or
single administrator that can be sent from user to user on
the peer-to-peer bitcoin network without the need for
intermediaries.
CIS Center for Internet Security
CISA Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency
Cities The 10 incorporated cities in the County
County Ventura County
Cyberattack Any type of offensive maneuver that targets computer
information systems, infrastructures, computer
networks, or personal computer devices.
Cybersecu rity The protection of computer systems and networks from
the theft of or damage to their hardware, software, or
electronic data, as well as from the disruption or
misdirection of the services they provide.
DHS Department of Homeland Security
Encrypt The process of encoding a message or information in
such a way that only authorized parties can access it and
those who are not authorized cannot.
FedRAMP The Federal Risk and Authorization Management
Program. A U.S. government-wide program that provides
a standardized approach to security assessment,
authorization and continuous monitoring for cloud
products and services.
FedRAMP The California administered FedRAMP
Moderate
Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County 15
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2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand .Jury Final Report
Grand Jury 2019-2020 Ventura County Grand Jury
HTTPS Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure
IT The use of computers to store, retrieve, transmit and
(Information manipulate data information. Typically used within the
Technology) context of business operations as opposed to personal or
entertainment technologies. All hardware, software and
peripheral equipment operated by a limited group of
users, as in "IT Department."
Malware Any software intentionally designed to cause damage to a
computer, server, client, or computer network. By
contrast, software that causes unintentional harm due to
some deficiency is typically described as a software bug.
A wide variety of malware exists, including computer
viruses, worms, Trojan horses, ransomware, spyware,
adware, and scareware.
MISAC The Municipal Information Systems Association of
California
MS-ISAC Multi State Information Sharing and Analysis Center
NIST National Institute for Standards and Technology (U.S.
Department of Commerce)
NSF National Science Foundation (administers SFS)
Server A computer that provides data to other computers.
SFS CyberCorps Scholarships for Service
SLTT State, Local, Tribal and Territorial Governments; includes
special districts (e.g. Libraries, airports, water districts,
harbors, etc.)
USB Drive A data storage device that includes flash memory with
an integrated USB interface. It is typically removable and
rewritable.
URL Colloquially termed a "web address," is a reference to a
web resource that specifies its location on a computer
network and a mechanism for retrieving it. A URL
(Uniform Resource Locator) is a specific type of Uniform
Resource Identifier (URI), although many people use the
two terms interchangeably.
16 Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County
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2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand Jury Final Report
Appendices
App-01. A Compilation of Best Practices from Authoritative Sources
App-02. Cybersecurity Resources
App-03. City Budgets
App-04. Federal Government Cybersecurity Recommendations for SL TTs
App-05. State of the Art Platforms and Tools
Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County 17
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2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand .Jury
Appendix 01
A Compilation of Best Practices
from Authoritative Sources
Final Report
18 Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County
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2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand .Jury Final Report
A Compilation of Best Practices from Authoritative Sources
Source Recommendation
California DeQartment of Technology Each city government domain name shou ld be "cityof"
Internet Domain Name Taxonomy fo llowed by the name of the city OR the name of the
city followed by "city.ca.gov" OR in the case that there Preparation instructions in the Statewide is no county with the same name, just the name of the Information Management Manua l -Section city fo ll owed by " .ca.gov". 40A
httQS :LLcdt.ca .govLwQ -Each county government domain name should be
contentLur2IoadsL2017 L0SLSIMM-40A-"countyof" followed by the name of the county OR the
Internet-Doma in -Instructions . Qdf name of the county followed by "county.ca.gov" OR in
the case that there is no city with the same name, the
name of the county foll owed by ".ca .gov "
Nation al League of Cities Convert to .gov domains in order to prevent
Protecting Our Data : WHAT CITIES SHOULD impersonators of municipal services from targeting
KNOW ABOUT CYBERSECURITY residents .
httQS :LLwww .nlc.orgLsitesLdefaultLfilesL2019 -
10LCS%20Cybersecurity%20ReQort%20Final
~
United States Senate The bil l sponsors note that it can be difficult to identify
DOTGOV Online Trust in Government Act of a legitimate website when a government uses a .com,
2019 (S .2749 ) .o rg , or .us doma in name . The sponsors note that when
local governments don't us e the .gov domain, it al lows
httQS: LLwww. hsgac. senate .gov Lmed iaLm inori cybercrimina ls to more easily impersonate government
ty-mediaLQeters-johnson -klobuchar-and -officials in order to defraud the pub lic and get people to
la n kford-i ntrod uce-bi Qa rtisa n -b i I I-to-share sensitive information .
strengthen-cybersecurity-for-loca I-
governments The b il l he l ps the transition to a .g ov domain name to
be more affordable for loca l governments by making
the change an al lowable ex pense under DHS's
Homeland Security Grant Program.
DHS -CISA Phishing emails and th e us e of un e ncrypted Hypert ext
httQ s: LLwww.cisa.gov Li nsights Transfe r Protoco l (HTTP) r emain persiste nt chann e ls
through which ma liciou s acto rs can exploit
httQS:LLwww .us -cert.gov LncasLt iQsLST18 -vulnerabilities in an organi za t ion's cybersecurity
006 posture . Attackers may spoof a domain to se nd a
phishing emai l that looks like a legitimate email. At the
same time, users transm itting data via unencrypted
HTT P protocol, w hi ch does not p rotect data from
inte r cept ion or alteration, are vulnerab le to
eavesdropping, tracking and the mod ification of the
data itse lf.
CISA -Cyber Essentials InfograQhic Cyber Essentials Infographic Guid e for Leade rs and IT
httQS: LL www .cisa.gov Ls itesLdefa ultLfil esLr2ub l
Professiona Is.
icationsL19 1105 cisa CISA-Cyber-
Essentia Is. Qdf
Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County 19
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2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand .Jury Final Report
CISA -Recommendati o ns for Incide nt . Develop an incident response and d isaster reco very
Res[lonse Plans, Reco v e!},'. Plans and p lan outlining roles and responsibi lities.
Business Continuitl,'. Plans . Test the p lan often .
• Leverage business impact assessments to prioritize htt[ls: //www .cisa .gov/sites/def a ult/files/[lubl resources and identify which systems must be ications/ 19 1106 cisa CISA Cl,'.ber Essentia recovered first. Is 5508C 0.[ldf • Learn who to cal l for help (outside partners,
vendors, government/i ndustry responders, technical
advisors and law enforcement). . Deve lop an internal reporting structure to detect,
communicate and contain attacks .
Leverage in-house containment measures to l imit the
impact of cyber incidents when they occur .
California Cl,'.ber Securitl,'. Integration Center Te leworking Quick Reference Guide . Te leworking
Guidance for Teleworkers (3/13/20) requires additional network security and user
htt[ls: //www. ca loes .ca. gov /Law Enforcement considerations . This document highlights some of the
security concerns and best practices end-users and Site/Documents/Ca l-network administrators should consider when CSIC Advisorl,'. Teleworking%20Guidance . [ld implementing a te leworking program . f
"Cybersecurity Best Practices for City vendors should provide cybersecurity
Municipalities", New Hampshire Municipa l documentation to the cities. As part of their ongoing
Association, by Lisa M . Thompson, August third-party due diligence, cities should evaluate vendors
2019 for comp liance and risk on an annual basis.
htt[lS://www .nh munici[la l .org/town -citl,'.-
article/ Cl,'.bersec u ritl,'.-best-[lra ctices -
munici[lalities
20 Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County
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2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand .Jury Final Report
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Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County 21
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2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand .Jury Final Report
Appendix 02
Cybersecurity Resources
22 Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County
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2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand Jury Final Report
Cybersecurity Resources
Source Service
CISA Provides SLTTs with a "one-stop shop"
htt12s: Uwww.cisa.gov LsitesL defau ltLfi lesL of free services for cyber risk
12ublicationsL2019 -CSSS-CISA-Regional-assessments, cybersecurity evaluations,
Services-508,Rdf, s lide s 10 and 15. in cident assistance coordination, cyber
exercises/tra inin g, and best practices .
CISA was established within Homeland
Security in 2018 by the Cybersecurity
and Infrastructure Security Agency Act
of 2018 to coordinate efforts to address
cybersecurity threats to critical
infrastructure by working with private
companies as well as state and local
governments.
htt12s: Uwww.cisa.gov La bout-c isa
CISA -Assessments CISA offers a range of free
htt12s: Uwww.cisa.gov La bout -cisa cybersecurity assessments that evaluate
operationa l resilience, cybersecurity
practices, organizational management
of external dependencies, and other key
elements of a robust cybersecurity
framework. CISA 's cybersecurity
assessment services are offered solely
on a voluntary basis and are available to
SL TTs upon request .
CISA -Infrastructure Security D ivi s ion PSAs are trained criti cal infrastructure
Protect ive Security Advisor (PSA) protection and vulnerability mitigation
Program subject matter experts who fac ilitate
lo cal fie ld activities in coordination with
htt12s: Uwww.dhs.gov LcisaL12rotective -other Department of Homeland Security
security-advisors offices. They advise and assist state,
local and private sector officials and
criti cal infrastructure facil ity owners and
operators.
Local CISA Protective Security Adv isor The DHS has a free Protective Security
htt12s: Uwww .cisa .govLsitesLdefaultLfilesL Advisor in the Camarillo, Ca liforni a,
R ubl icati onsLPSA -Prog ram -Fact -Sheet-Office of Homeland Security.
05-15-508,Rdf
Cybersecurity Strategies for Cities in Ventura County 23
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2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand .Jury F i nal Report
Cybersecurity Resources
Source Service
CISA -"Cyber Essentia ls" On No v ember 6, 2019, CISA launched
httQs: LLwww.cisa.gov LsitesLdefa ultLfilesL "Cyber Essent ia l s" in an effort to equip
QUblicationsL 19 1105 cisa CISA -Cyber-sm a ll organ izat ions w ith bas ic steps and
Essentials. Qdf resources to i mprove t heir
cybersecurity.
CI SA's Cyber Essentia ls In a December 12, 2019 b log on the
httQs: LLwww .cisa.gov LblogL 2019L12L12L CISA website Bradford Wil l ke wrote
get-your-city -cyber-ready -cisas-cyber-"CISA in te nds for thi s to be the first of
essentials many 'Cyber Es s enti als' product
re leases. In the coming months, we w ill
be deve lop i ng a too l k it that provides
httQs: LLwww.c isa.gov LsitesLdefaultLfi lesL us ers w ith additional deta il on each
QublicationsL19 1106 cisa CISA Cyber Essential and links them to helpful
Essentials S508C 0.Qdf re sources for implementation . We w il l
also cont i nue to engage with partn e r
organizations to get the word out about
the 'Cyber Essent ia ls' and co ll aborate
w ith us in deve lopi ng the too l kit."
The Nationa l League of Cities The report is i ntended to be a guide to
"What Cit ies Shou l d Know About help local governments understand t heir
Cybersecurity" cybersecurity vulnerabilities and how
they can improve security pra ct i ces.
httQs:LL4 1g41s33vxdd2vc05w415sle-
wQengine. netdna -ssl. comLwQ-
contentLu QloadsL2019L lOLNLC Cy:bersec
urityReQort.Qdf
CI S A nonprofit, member driven
httQS: LLwww .cisecurity.orgLabout-usL organization formed in 2000. Its mission
httQs: LLwww.cisa.gov LRartnershi Q-is to identify, develop , validate,
engagement-branch promote, and susta i n be st practice
so l utions for cyber defen se . CI S
operate s the MS-I SAC program which is
de signate d by DH S as the cybersecurity
Information Shari ng and Ana lysis Center
(I SAC) for SL TT govern men ts to share
information between government and
indu stry.
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Cybersecurity Resources
Source Service
MS -ISAC In 2018 MS-ISAC's CIS SecureSuite
httgs: Uwww .cisecurity:. orgL blogLcis -membership became free to SLTT
secu resuite -membersh i g-free -for-u-s -governments in the United States .
sltts-what-y:ou -need -to -knowL
MISAC Founded in 1980, MISAC is comprised of
httgs:Uwww.mi sac.orgL public agency information technology
professionals working throughout
California. On its website MISAC states
it promotes the understanding and
strategic use of information technology
within local government agencies
through sharing of best practices.
MISAC is a member based organization
that serves as an advisor to the League
of California Cities. It does not have a
relationship with DHS .
MISAC -Security: Committee Promotes three best practices that
httgs: Uwww . mi sac.orgLnewsL407088LM municipalities can implement to stay on
ISACs -New -Security:-Committee -Ug -top of their organization's cybersecurity:
and -Running.htm 1. Cyber liability insurance
2. Cyber for Internet Security (CIS)
Controls
3. Multi -State Information Sharing &
Analysis Center (MS -ISAC)
membership. Joining MS -ISAC is free
to municipal government IT
operations.
Govlaunch A national free, private platform for any
httgs:Ugovlaunch.comL verified employees of local government
to share details of their projects or
initiatives. It is a website where local
governments can find out what
technology the i r peers are turning to
and how they're using it.
Cy be r sec u r ity Str ategies for Cit ies i n Ventura County 25
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2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand .Jury Final Report
Cybersecurity Resources
Source Service
FedVTE FedVTE is a free , on li ne , on-demand
ni ccs. us-cert. gov Ltra in i ngL fed era I-cybersecurity tra in ing system managed
virtual-training -environ ment -fedvte by OHS that is avai lable to SLTT
g overnment person n e l . It con ta in s more
than 800 hours of training on top ics
such as et h ica l hacking, survei ll ance,
risk management and malware ana lysis.
Resource benefits i nclude:
• Diverse courses -The program
offers more than 300
demonstrations and 3,000 related
materials, includ ing online lectures
a nd h a nds-on vi rtua l labs.
• Certification offeri ngs -Offerings
i nclude Network+, Security+,
Certified Information Systems
Security Profess iona l (CISSP ),
Windows Operating System
Security and Certified Eth ica l
Hacker.
• Experie n ced instructors -A ll
courses are taught by experienced
cybersecurity subject matter
experts.
CIS CyberMarket CIS's co ll aborative purch as i ng program
htt12s : LLwww .cisecurity.orgLservicesLcis -that serves SL TT organizations, not-for-
cybermarketL profit entities, and public health and
education institutions to improve
cybersecurity through cost-effective
group procurement . The objective of the
CIS CyberMarket is to combine the
purchasing power of governmental and
nonprofit sectors to he lp part icipants
improve their cybersecurity
environment at a lower cost than they
wou ld have been able to attain on their
own.
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Cybersecurity Resources
Source Service
General Services Administration Allows SLTTs to purchase IT and
Cooperat ive Purchasing Program security products and serv ices offered
through GSA's negot iated contracts. The
https: LLwww .gsa.gov LtechnologyLtechno advantage for eli g i b le users of t he GSA
logy -products-servicesLit-security Cooperat ive Purchasing Program is that
https:LLwww.gsa.govLbuying -vendor services and products can be
sel Ii ngL purchasi ng -prog ra msLgsa -procured at the lowest possible price
schedulesLschedule -buyersLstate -and -with the assurance that contractors are
loca I-governmentsL cooperative -qua li fied to se l l to the federa l
purchasing government.
FedRAMP Moderate A U.S. government program that
https:Uwww.fedramp .govL establ ishes a standardized approach for
va l idating that cloud services are
https :LLcdt.ca .govLwp -secure. FedRAMP offers independent,
contentL uploadsL2019L0 1L2018 -An nu al -th i rd -party validation of a cloud
Report FINAL accessible.pdf, p. 12 provider's security posture and a
https :LLcdt.ca.govLwp-standardized approach to sec u r ity
contentLuploadsL2019L09LTA 18-05.pdf assessments, authorizat ion and
continuous monitoring for cloud
products and services. It is adm i nistered
by the states.
Avai lable to a ll California cities and
counties. This single state contract
provides cloud services to government
customers at d iscounted prices of up to
9 .5%, with additional volume discounts
availab le for se lect providers . Service
providers include Amazon, Microsoft and
IBM.
Cal iforn ia's Cybersecurity Task Force Whi l e not currently providing direct
https: LLwww .caloes.ca .govLcal -oes -cybersecurity s upport to Californ ia's
divisionsLcybersecurity -task-forceLtask -cities, this t 'ask force may be a future
force -s ubcommittees re source .
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2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand .Jury Final Report
Cybersecurity Resources
Source Service
The Nationa l Sc ience Foundat ion Adm i nisters the Federal SFS program
https://www.sfs .opm.gov/ which is an effective recru iting tool for
SLTTs. Upon graduation, scho larsh i p
rec i p ients are req ui red to work as
cybersecurity professiona ls for a period
equal to the length of their scholarsh i p.
T he CyberCorps scho larship assists in
funding the typ ica l costs inc u rred by
ful l -time students whi le attending a
part icipat i ng i nstitution, including tuition
and education and related fees. The
scholarships are funded through grants
awarded by the Nat iona l Sc ience
Foundation in partnership w ith DHS and
the Federa l Office of Personnel
Management (OPM).
City hiring Managers and Human
Resources Consu ltants interested i n
recruit ing from the SFS program can
ga i n access-to this candidate pool by
contacting the program office at
sfs@opm.gov.
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2019 -2020 Ventura County Grand .Jury
Appendix 03
City Budgets
Final Report
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City Budgets
City of Camarillo Adopted 2018-2020 [2 years] Budget
https://www.cityofcamarillo.org/Finance/Budget/City%20of%20Camarillo%2020
18%20-%202020%20Budget.pdf, p. 56
City of Fillmore, CA Adopted Operating Budget 2019-20
https: //www. fil I mo reca .com/home/showdocument?id = 5431
City of Moorpark, CA Operating and Capital Improvement Projects Budget Fiscal
Year 2019-2020
https: //www.moorparkca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9589/F-201920-
Budget?bidld =, pp. 87-91
City of Ojai, CA Adopted Municipal Budget 2019-2020
https: //ojaicity. org/the -adopted-m un icipa I-budget-for-fisca l-year-2019-2020 -
now -on line/, p. 35
City of Oxnard Adopted Budget Fiscal Year 2019 -2020
https: //www .oxnard .org/wp -
content/uploads/2019/10/FINANCE ADOPTED Budget Book 19 20.pdf, pp.
152-155
City of Port Hueneme FY 2019-21 Operating Budget
https ://www .ci.port-
hueneme. ca. us/DocumentCenter/View/29 53/Operating Budget -19 -20-a nd -20 -
21 ?bidld=
City of Santa Paula 2019-2020 Fiscal Year Budget
https: //spcity . org/209/Fi na ncia I-Reports
City of Simi Valley FY2019-20 Adopted Budget
https://www.simivalley.org/home/showdocument?id =21214 , pp. 97, 98
City of Thousand Oaks Adopted Operating Budget Fiscal Years 2019-2020 &
2020 -2021
https://www.toaks.org/home/showdocument?id = 22064
City of Ventura Adopted Budget
https: //www .cityofventura.ca .gov /DocumentCenter/View/18416/FY-2019 -20 -
Adopted-Budget?bidld =
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Appendix 04
Federal Government
Cybersecurity Recommendations for SLTTs
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Federal Government
Cybersecurity Recommendations for SL TTs
• Implement an awareness and training program emphasizing awareness of the
threat of ransomware and how it is delivered. Because end users are targets,
employees and individuals shou ld be aware of the threat of ransomware and
how it is delivered.
• Enable strong spam filters to prevent phishing emails from reaching the end
users and authenticate inbound email using technologies like Sender Policy
Framework (SPF), Domain Message Authentication Reporting and
Conformance (DMARC), and Domain Keys Identified Mail (DKIM) to prevent
email spoofing.
• Scan all incoming and outgoing emails to detect threats and filter executable
files from reaching end users.
• Configure firewalls to block access to known malicious IP addresses.
• Patch operating systems, software, and firmware on devices. Consider using a
centralized patch management system.
• Set anti-virus and anti-malware programs to conduct regular scans
automatically.
• Manage the use of privileged accounts based on the principle of least
privilege: no users should be assigned administrative access unless absolutely
needed; and those with a need for administrator accounts should only use
them when necessary.
• Configure access controls-including file, directory, and network share
permissions-with least privilege in mind. If a user only needs to read specific
files, the user should not have write access to those files, directories, or
shares.
• Disable macro scripts from office files transmitted via email. Consider using
Office Viewer software to open Microsoft Office files transmitted via email
instead of full office suite applications.
• Implement Software Restriction Policies (SRP) or other controls to prevent
programs from executing from common ransomware location s, such as
temporary folders supporting popular Internet browsers or
compression/decompression programs, including the AppData/LocalAppData
folder.
• Consider disabling Remote Desktop protocol (RDP) if it is not being used.
• Use application whitelisting, which only allows systems to execute programs
known and permitted by security policy.
• Execute operating system environments or specific programs in a virtualized
environment.
• Categorize data based on organizational value and implement physical and
logical separation of networks and data for different organizational units.
Source: CISA, "Ransomware, What It Is and What To Do About It"
https: //www. us -
cert.gov /sites/default/files/publications/Ransomware Executive One -
Pager and Technical Document-FINAL.pdf
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Appendix 05
State of the Art Platforms and Tools
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State of the Art Platforms and Tools
Tool Risks Rewards
• Information breach from • Increased accessibility to
lost or stolen devices data anywhere and
Mobile • Unclear data ownership anytime
Devices due to both personal and • Consistent methodologies
private usage of devices of data collection
• Additional endpoints to
manage
• Compromised confidential • Improved collaboration
data and continuity
Cloud • An unauthorized user • Increased accessibility to
Computing obtaining information information and resources
• Insiders circumventing • More opportunities for
security and releasing increased business agility
private information
• Volumes of data expose • Identifies relationships,
organizations to more risks patterns and threats
and threats traditionally not seen
• Challenging to stay ahead • Real -time data can stop
Big Data of attacks fraud and attacks faster
• Harder for agencies to be than traditional data Initiatives proactive in spotting big processing
data vulnerabilities • Big data can increa se
secure operations and
meet compliance
requirements
Source: Government Technology
https://media2.govtech.com/images/symantecinfographicnewfinalsmall.jpg
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