Building NYC’s secure cyber future
Connecting state and local government leaders
Resources, technology and partnerships have helped New York City battle cybercrime and enhance digital protections.
New York City experiences so much cybercrime that the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office created its own cyber lab, where staff can conduct investigations and forensics on computers, laptops and smartphones.
The New York Police Department serves five district attorney’s offices as well as other agencies, so the Manhattan office found itself "standing line to get the attention of the NYPD” when it wanted forensic help with electronic devices, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance said at a recent Route Fifty event. “We built our own cyber lab using forfeiture dollars, which we brought in from investigations and prosecutions of foreign banks.”
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office also built mobile units so it could investigate devices in the field. In addition to the work being done in New York City, Vance said he also connects with local governments around the world through the Global Cyber Alliance, an organization his office helped found.
Today, the Global Cyber Alliance has over 250 members across 18 industry sectors and works to mitigate cybersecurity risk by funding solutions to prevent phishing and protect employees from visiting unsecure sites.
The Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance, or DMARC, is an email authentication tool designed to prevent email spoofing and provide data on where a forgery may have originated. The Quad9 Domain Name System security service filters malicious domains linked to botnets, phishing campaigns and other malicious activity.
When it comes to coordination for future threats, the Global Cyber Alliance is partnering with the city of New York, the NYPD and the Center for Internet Security on a critical infrastructure working group. The group currently has 17 members from government and industry.
“We are working to create protocols so when a member comes under attack, there is volunteer corps from [member] businesses that will respond to the needs,” Vance said.
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