Partnerships for Improving State and Local Government Cybersecurity

Prepare a one page briefing statement (3 to 5 paragraphs) for a group of state government employees and local government city managers who are interested in learning more about the benefits of working with the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC). Their specific interest is in obtaining help in preventing data breaches since state agencies and city governments collect, process, transmit, and store large amounts of private information about individuals. This information includes

Student Records (K-12)
Online Reservation & Payment Systems for Parks & Recreation Facilities
Hospitals (Patient Records)
Vital Records (Birth / Death Certificates)
License Applications (Marriage, Business, Driver’s Licenses)
Building Permits (including architectural drawings and property information)

Your briefing statement should provide an independent perspective on the services provided by MS-ISAC and address concerns about the affordability of the ISACs services. Answer the questions:

Will working with MS-ISAC reduce the risks of data breaches in my organization?
Why or why not?
Who else could each city partner with to reduce the risks and impacts of data breaches?

Resource: https://msisac.cisecurity.org/about/services/

Provide in-text citations and references for 3 or more authoritative sources. Put the reference list at the end of your posting.

Timeliness of Initial Posting	On Time	Late	Very Late	No Submission
Timeliness of Briefing Statement or Paper	12 points Posted briefing statement or paper before 11:59 PM ET on Friday.	10 points Posted briefing statement or paper before 11:59 PM ET on Saturday.	5 points Posted briefing statement or paper before 11:59 PM ET on Sunday.	0 points Did not post a briefing statement or paper before 11:59 PM ET on Sunday.
Briefing Statement or Paper	Excellent	Outstanding	Acceptable	Needs Improvement	Needs Significant Improvement	Missing or No Work Submitted
Introduction to Briefing Statement or Paper	10 points Provided an excellent introduction to the deliverable which clearly, concisely, and accurately addressed the topic of the briefing statement or paper. Appropriately paraphrased information from authoritative sources.	8.5 points Provided an outstanding introduction to the deliverable which clearly and accurately addressed the topic of the briefing statement or paper. Appropriately paraphrased information from authoritative sources.	7 points Provided an acceptable introduction to the deliverable which addressed the topic of the briefing statement or paper. Appropriately paraphrased information from authoritative sources.	6 points Provided an introduction to the deliverable but the section lacked some required details. Information from authoritative sources was mentioned.	4 points Attempted to provide an introduction to the deliverable but this section lacked detail and/or was not well supported by information drawn from authoritative sources (too many quotations or improper paraphrasing).	0 points Introduction was missing or no work submitted.
Analysis	15 points Provided an excellent analysis of the issues for the required briefing topic. Addressed at least three separate issues and provided appropriate examples for each. Appropriately used and cited information from authoritative sources.	13.5 points Provided an outstanding analysis of the issues for the required briefing topic. Addressed at least two separate issues and provided appropriate examples for each. Appropriately used and cited information from authoritative sources.	12 points Provided an acceptable analysis of the issues for the required briefing topic. Addressed at least one specific issue and provided an appropriate example. Appropriately used and cited information from authoritative sources.	11 points Addressed the required briefing topic but the analysis lacked details or was somewhat disorganized. Appropriately used and cited information from authoritative sources.	8 points Mentioned the required briefing topic but the analysis was very disorganized or off topic. OR, the analysis did not appropriately use information from authoritative sources (too many quotations or improper paraphrasing).	0 points Analysis was missing or no work was submitted.
Summary	10 points Included an excellent summary section for the briefing statement or paper which was on topic, well organized, and covered at least 3 key points. The summary contained at least one full paragraph.	8.5 points Included an outstanding summary paragraph for the briefing statement or paper which was on topic and covered at least 3 key points.	7 points Included a summary paragraph for the briefing statement or paper which was on topic and provided an appropriate closing.	6 points Included a summary paragraph but, this section lacked content or was disorganized.	4 points Included a few summary sentences for the briefing statement or paper.	0 points Did not include a summary for the briefing statement or paper.
Use of Authoritative Sources	5 points Included and properly cited three or more authoritative sources (no errors).	4 points Included and properly cited three or more authoritative sources (minor errors allowable).	3 points Included and cited two or more authoritative sources (minor errors allowable). Reference list entries contain sufficient information to enable the reader to find and retrieve the cited sources.	2 points Included and cited at least one authoritative source (errors allowable in citations or reference entries). Reference list entries contain sufficient information to enable the reader to find and retrieve the cited sources.	1 point Mentioned at least one authoritative source but, the citations and/or reference list entries lacked required information (not sufficient to retrieve the correct resource).	0 points References and citations were missing. Or, no work submitted.
Professionalism	10 points No formatting, grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors. Submitted work shows outstanding organization and the use of color, fonts, titles, headings and sub-headings, etc. is appropriate to the assignment type.	8.5 points Work contains minor errors in formatting, grammar, spelling or punctuation which do not significantly impact professional appearance. Work needs some polishing to improve professional appearance.	7 points Errors in formatting, spelling, grammar, or punctuation which need attention / editing to improve professional appearance of the work.	6 points Submitted work has numerous errors in formatting, spelling, grammar, or punctuation. Substantial polishing / editing is required.	4 points Submitted work is difficult to read and/or understand. OR, work has significant errors in formatting, spelling, grammar, punctuation, or word usage which detract from the overall professional appearance of the work.	0 points No submission.
Timeliness of Postings	On Time	Late	Very Late
First Critique for Another Student	2 points Posted a critique of another student’s briefing statement or paper before 11:59 pm ET on Saturday.	1 point Posted a critique of another student’s briefing statement or paper before 11:59 pm ET on Sunday.	0 points Did not post a critique of another student’s briefing statement or paper before 11:59 PM ET on Sunday.
Second Critique for Another Student	2 points Posted a second critique of another student’s briefing statement or paper before 11:59 pm ET on Saturday.	1 point Posted a second critique of another student’s briefing statement or paper before 11:59 pm ET on Sunday.	0 points Did not post a second critique of another student’s briefing statement or paper before 11:59 PM ET on Sunday.
Follow-Up Reply or Discussion Participation	2 points Posted a follow-up reply or discussion posting before 11:59 pm ET on Sunday.	0 points Posted a follow-up reply or discussion posting after 11:59 pm ET on Sunday.	0 points Did not post a follow-up reply in the week’s topic.
Second Follow-Up Reply or Discussion Posting	2 points Posted a second follow-up reply or discussion posting before 11:59 pm ET on Sunday.	0 points Posted a second follow-up reply or discussion posting after 11:59 pm ET on Sunday.	0 points Did not post a second follow-up reply in the week’s topic.
Quality of Discussion Postings	Excellent	Acceptable	Needs Improvement	Low-Quality or No Work Submitted
Critique #1 for Another Student’s Briefing Statement or Paper	10 points Posted an excellent critique for another student’s briefing statement or paper. Critique focused on ways in which the content could be improved and/or better organized. Provided 3 or more specific examples and added value to the discussion.	8.5 points Posted an acceptable critique for another student’s briefing statement or paper. Critique focused on ways in which the content could be improved and/or better organized. Provided at least one specific example and added value to the discussion.	7 points Posted a critique of another student’s briefing statement or paper. Critique provided at least one suggestion for improvement.	0 points Posting was missing or did not add contain a critique of the briefing statement or paper.
Critique #2 for Another Student’s Briefing Statement or Paper	10 points Posted an excellent critique for another student’s briefing statement or paper. Critique focused on ways in which the content could be improved and/or better organized. Provided 3 or more specific examples and added value to the discussion.	8.5 points Posted an acceptable critique for another student’s briefing statement or paper. Critique focused on ways in which the content could be improved and/or better organized. Provided at least one specific example and added value to the discussion.	7 points Posted a critique of a second student’s briefing statement or paper. Critique provided at least one suggestion for improvement.	0 points Posting was missing or did not add contain a critique of the briefing statement or paper.
Follow-up Reply or Comment #1	5 points Posted a follow-up reply or comment which added value to the discussion.	4 points Posted an acceptable follow-up reply or comment which added some value to the discussion.	3 points Posted a follow-up reply or comment but added little value to the discussion.	0 points Posting was missing or did not add value to the discussion.
Follow-up Reply or Comment #2	5 points Posted a follow-up reply or comment which added value to the discussion.	4 points Posted an acceptable follow-up reply or comment which added some value to the discussion.	3 points Posted a follow-up reply or comment but added little value to the discussion.	0 points Posting was missing or did not add value to the discussion.
Overall Score	Excellent 100 or more	Outstanding 85 or more	Acceptable 75 or more	Needs Improvement 65 or more	Needs Significant

Topic: Cybersecurity for Local and Municipal Governments

In many ways, cybersecurity is as much a local problem as it is a state, national, or international problem. Local governments are smaller and have fewer available resources than state governments or the federal government. Yet, their IT operations face the same or substantially similar threats from insiders, hackers, criminals, and other “bad actors.”

Local governments collect, store, process, and disseminate sensitive information about residents and businesses within their jurisdictions. Local governments also collect fees, taxes, and utility bills through online payment systems. Residents may be able to apply online for business and marriage licenses. Records of births, deaths, wills, and real estate transactions are maintained in IT systems operated by local governments. These IT-based activities almost invariably involve some form of connection to the Internet.

For the readings this week, we begin with a brief overview of the roles, responsibilities, and powers of local governments. As you read, you should make note of the degree to which local governments are empowered by the states in which they are located. This empowerment may be through the state’s constitution or through laws and regulations enacted by the state government.

Usually, local governments are empowered by their states to levy and collect taxes and fees to support their operations and programs. But, few localities have a sufficient tax base to provide funding for all of their citizens and residents wants. This means that local governments usually operate in a resource challenged environment and must make every dollar count. Every dollar spent on Information Technology or Cybersecurity is a dollar that is not available for education, parks, road maintenance, and garbage pickup. This means that local politicians and managers may not have the funding available to invest in cybersecurity beyond the bare minimums required to meet the requirements of independent auditors and insurance companies.

We will also examine the types of information which local governments are responsible for, how the localities may be vulnerable to cyber attacks, and the measures that some have taken to protect the information and infrastructures for which they are responsible. For examples of online services and types of information held and processed by local governments, please see these websites for local governments near UMUC offices in Adelphi and Largo, Maryland:

Town: http://uppermarlboromd.gov/
City: http://www.collegeparkmd.gov/
City: http://www.cityofbowie.org
County: http://countyclick.princegeorgescountymd.gov/

Finally, as you read and review this week’s materials, think about how advances in technologies, from Smart Cities to Smart Cars to Smart Homes, will impact cybersecurity requirements for towns, cities, counties, and other local governments in the very near future. You will have an opportunity to study some of these technologies and associated vulnerabilities in later courses in the CSIA major.

Major Assignment due this week: Paper #3: Compare / Contrast IT Security Policies between two state governments.

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List of Topics and Sub-Modules for Week 6

Content

Local Governments: Authorities, Structures, & Finances

6

Incomplete activities

Cybersecurity Challenges for Local Governments

6

Incomplete activities

Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center

Rubric Name: Paper #3: Compare / Contrast IT Security Policies (Rubric)

Criteria	Excellent	Outstanding	Acceptable	Needs Improvement	Needs Significant Improvement	Missing or Unacceptable
Introduction or Overview for State Government IT Security Policies	15 points Provided an excellent introduction or overview of IT Security Policies for the executive branch of state governments. Explained the purpose of an IT Security Policy and how it is used. Fully answered the question: why should every state in the nation have a comprehensive IT Security Policy? Addressed the importance of such strategies to small, resource-poor states as well as to larger or more wealthy states. The overview appropriately used information from 3 or more authoritative sources.	14 points Provided an outstanding introduction or overview of IT Security Policies for the executive branch of state governments. Explained the purpose of an IT Security Policy and how it is used. Addressed the question: why should every state in the nation have a comprehensive IT Security Policy? Addressed the importance of such strategies to small, resource-poor states as well as to larger or more wealthy states. The overview appropriately used information from 2 or more authoritative sources.	13 points Introduced IT security policies; explained the purpose of an IT security policy for state governments and how such policies are used. Addressed the question: why should every state have an IT security policy? Mentioned the importance of such policies to small, resource-poor states as well as to larger or wealthier states. The overview appropriately used information from 1 or more authoritative sources.	11 points Provided an overview of IT security policies but the section lacked important details. Information from authoritative sources was cited and used in the overview.	4 points Attempted to provide an introduction to the paper but this section lacked detail and/or was not well supported by information drawn from authoritative sources.	0 points The introduction and/or overview sections of the paper were off topic.
Common Principles / Policies / Guidance between the two IT Security Policies	15 points Provided an excellent discussion of the common principles and policies (similarities) found in both IT security policies. Correctly identified the two states used for the analysis. Provided 5 or more specific examples of content which was similar between the two documents. Appropriately used information from 3 or more authoritative sources.	14 points Provided an outstanding discussion of the common principles and policy sections / statements (similarities) found in both IT security policy documents. Correctly identified the two states used for the analysis. Provided 4 or more specific examples of content which was similar between the two documents.Appropriately used information from 2 or more authoritative sources.	13 points Provided a discussion of the common principles and policy sections / statements (similarities) found in both IT security policy documents. Correctly identified the two states used for the analysis. Provided 3 or more specific examples of content which was similar between the two documents. Appropriately used information from 1 or more authoritative sources.	11 points Provided a discussion of similarities between the two documents including at least two examples. Correctly identified the two states. Appropriately used information from authoritative sources.	4 points Provided a discussion of similarities between the two documents including at least one example. The discussionlacked detail and/or was not well supported by information drawn from authoritative sources.	0 points This section was missing, off topic, or failed to provide information about similarities in the two documents.
Unique Aspects of State #1’s IT Security Policy	15 points Provided an excellent discussion of the unique aspects of the IT Security Policy for state #1. Provided 5 or more examples of specific principles or guidelines or other content which were unique to the policy document. Appropriately used information from 3 or more authoritative sources.	14 points Provided an outstanding discussion of the unique aspects of the IT Security Policy for state #1. Provided 4 or more examples of specific principles or guidelines or other content which were unique to the policy document. Appropriately used information from 2 or more authoritative sources.	13 points Provided a discussion of the unique aspects of the IT Security Policy for state #1. Provided 3 or more examples of specific principles or guidelines or other content which were unique to the policy document. Appropriately used information from 1 or more authoritative sources.	11 points Provided a brief discussion of the unique aspects of the IT Security Policy for state #1. Provided 2 or more examples of specific principles or guidelines or other content which were unique to the policy document. Appropriately used information from authoritative sources.	4 points Mentioned unique aspects of the IT Security Policy for state #1. The discussionlacked detail and/or was not well supported by information drawn from authoritative sources.	0 points This section was missing, off topic, or failed to provide information aboutunique aspects of the IT Security Policy document.
Unique Aspects of State #2’s IT Security Policy	15 points Provided an excellent discussion of the unique aspects of the IT Security Policy for state #2. Provided 5 or more examples of specific principles or guidelines or other content which were unique to the policy document. Appropriately used information from 3 or more authoritative sources.	14 points Provided an outstanding discussion of the unique aspects of the IT Security Policy for state #2. Provided 4 or more examples of specific principles or guidelines or other content which were unique to the policy document. Appropriately used information from 2 or more authoritative sources.	13 points Provided a discussion of the unique aspects of the IT Security Policy for state #2. Provided 3 or more examples of specific principles or guidelines or other content which were unique to the policy document. Appropriately used information from 1 or more authoritative sources.	11 points Provided a brief discussion of the unique aspects of the IT Security Policy for state #2. Provided 2 or more examples of specific principles or guidelines or other content which were unique to the policy document. Appropriately used information from authoritative sources.	4 points Mentioned unique aspects of the IT Security Policy for state #2. The discussionlacked detail and/or was not well supported by information drawn from authoritative sources.	0 points This section was missing, off topic, or failed to provide information aboutunique aspects of the IT Security Policy document.
Evaluation and Best Practice Based Recommendations for Improvements	10 points Provided a well reasoned and appropriately justified evaluation of which state’s IT Security Policy was the better of the two documents. Presented an excellent summary for 5 or more best practice based recommendations for improvements to both IT Security Policies. Answered the question: How can these policies be improved? Appropriately used information from 3 or more authoritative sources.	8.5 points Provided an evaluation of which state’s IT Security Policy was the better of the two documents. Presented an outstanding summary for 3 or more best practice based recommendations for improvements to both IT Security Policies. Answered the question: How can these policies be improved? Appropriately used information from 2 or more authoritative sources.	7 points Provided an evaluation of which state’s IT Security Policy was the better of the two documents. Presented a summary of best practice based recommendations for improvements to both IT Security Policies. Answered the question: How can these policies be improved? Appropriately used information from 1 or more authoritative sources.	6 points Discussion provided some information about best practices for IT Security Policies and mentioned recommendations for improving the current policy documents. Mentioned information obtained from authoritative sources.	4 points Discussion provided some information about best practices for IT security policies, but the lacked detail and/or was not supported by information from authoritative sources.	0 points Did not address best practices for IT security policies.
Addressed security issues using standard cybersecurity terminology	5 points Demonstrated excellence in the integration of standard cybersecurity terminology into the case study.	4 points Provided an outstanding integration of standard cybersecurity terminology into the case study.	3 points Integrated standard cybersecurity terminology into the into the case study	2 points Used standard cybersecurity terminology but this usage was not well integrated with the discussion.	1 point Misused standard cybersecurity terminology.	0 points Did not integrate standard cybersecurity terminology into the discussion.
APA Formatting for Citations and Reference List	5 points Work contains a reference list containing entries for all cited resources. Reference list entries and in-text citations are correctly formatted using the appropriate APA style for each type of resource.	4 points Work contains a reference list containing entries for all cited resources. One or two minor errors in APA format for in-text citations and/or reference list entries.	3 points Work contains a reference list containing entries for all cited resources. No more than 3 minor errors in APA format for in-text citations and/or reference list entries.	2 points Work has no more than three paragraphs with omissions of citations crediting sources for facts and information. Work contains a reference list containing entries for cited resources. Work contains no more than 5 minor errors in APA format for in-text citations and/or reference list entries.	1 point Work attempts to credit sources but demonstrates a fundamental failure to understand and ap Needs help with similar assignment? We are available 24x7 to deliver the best services and assignment ready within 3-4 hours? Order a custom-written, plagiarism-free paper Order Over WhatsApp Place an Order Online Do you have an upcoming essay or assignment due? All of our assignments are originally produced, unique, and free of plagiarism. If yes Order Similar Paper Post navigation ← Previous Post Next Post → Home About Us Contact ORDER NOW Login PHONE: +1 (234) 295-3084 Home About Us Contact ORDER NOW Login PHONE: +1 (234) 295-3084 Copyright © 2023 pro.essaywriter24x7.com \| Powered by pro.essaywriter24x7.com. WhatsApp us

Partnerships for Improving State and Local Government Cybersecurity

List of Topics and Sub-Modules for Week 6

Content

Local Governments: Authorities, Structures, & Finances

Cybersecurity Challenges for Local Governments

Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center

Rubric Name: Paper #3: Compare / Contrast IT Security Policies (Rubric)

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