SecureSD shields local governments

South Dakota municipalities eligible for free cybersecurity services

Local governments are prime targets for cyberattacks, holding sensitive citizen data while keeping critical services running around the clock.

South Dakota municipalities have a powerful ally: SecureSD,  a statewide initiative aimed at improving the cybersecurity posture of local governments.

Funded through SB 187, in partnership with the Attorney General’s Office and the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Secure SD helps communities protect their systems through secure email, mitigation of vulnerabilities, and cybersecurity training and education.

Secure Email Solution

Email is one of the most exploited channels in local government.

SecureSD will enable municipalities to migrate to a secure email platform, eliminating third-party solutions which lack security controls.

The move reduces risk by moving to a unified system and will focus on phishing protection campaigns and real-time threat detection.

Three vendors were selected during an RFP process to serve as approved, state-qualified contractors for local entities to choose from.

These vendors will offer a secure, government-compliant level of secure email services to participating municipalities.

The Secure Email Solution will provide encrypted communications, secure calendaring, global address listings, phishing protection, and mobile-friendly access – all designed with government cybersecurity standards in mind.

Mitigation of vulnerabilities

The first step in shoring up an entity’s cybersecurity posture is determining where the vulnerabilities lie.

Any local government participating in SecureSD must first have assessments performed to provide an overview of their current cybersecurity landscape.

A technical assessment is a physical check for vulnerabilities in your network. These are the good guys looking for holes in your system to see where the bad guys may be able to get in. This service can be provided by DSU through Project Boundary Fence, a free service to all South Dakota local government entities.

A strategic assessment provides a baseline status to help improve an entity’s overall security. This is the cyber hygiene and best practices of your organization. This can be performed by CISA or an equivalent vendor.

Once the assessments are complete, SecureSD will help fund an IT vendor to mitigate identified vulnerabilities, change configurations and improve rules. Solutions will be specifically designed for each participating entity based on their individual assessments.

They will also help with firewall configuration review and purchasing specialized security equipment if necessary.

SecureSD will also help municipalities migrate to the .gov domain, making it clear the email address, and website is from a vetted official government entity.

Cybersecurity training and education

SecureSD funds multiple training sessions across the state. 

Securing the human firewall – staff’s ability to spot potential cyber-attacks – is one of the best ways to improve the cybersecurity posture of an organization. 

They offer Incident Response Planning (IRP) workshops where participants can learn what an IRP is, why it’s important and how to create one.

Onsite training is also available for local government employees. 

These services are provided at no cost and are highly recommended. 

Protect your community

SB 187 appropriated $7 million to exclusively expand and improve cybersecurity for counties and municipalities in South Dakota, via any infrastructure and technology that can protect their information technology assets. 

Funding is appropriated through June 2028 at which time participating organizations will need to cover costs for ongoing efforts.

SecureSD is supported by an advisory council comprising experts from various sectors throughout the state. 

As Cybersecurity Awareness month wraps up, Heartland Energy would like to remind customers that cybersecurity is essential to protecting both community services and sensitive information. 

Heartland encourages all municipalities in South Dakota to take advantage of SecureSD’s comprehensive resources, from secure email solutions to vulnerability mitigation.

Reach out to SecureSD@dsu.edu for details on how to get started.