On Monday, Robert McQueen, Director of Information Technology for the Township of Franklin (Somerset County), and Past President of the New Jersey Chapter of GMIS represented the League at the Senate Law and Public Safety committee hearing on cybersecurity.
The committee heard testimony from invited guests on cybersecurity issues affecting New Jersey, including the implementation of P.L.2023, c.19, which requires certain cybersecurity incidents to be reported to the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness.
Director McQueen highlighted the cybersecurity risks and threats municipalities face although each has a unique risk profile, there are some commonalities, including:
- Staffing gaps
- Need for technology controls
- Risk of exposure to sensitive data
- Potential internal threat actor
For these reasons, Director McQueen advocated that cybersecurity costs should be outside the 2% levy cap. In addition, the state, through the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJ CCIC) should offer direct level support to municipalities particularly when there is a potential or actual cyber attack.
The League thanks Director McQueen for his participation, sharing his expertise, and actionable suggestions with the legislative committee and hopes there will be legislation later this year to implement the suggestions.
Contact: Paul Penna, Senior Legislative Analyst, ppenna@njlm.org, 609-695-3481, x110.