DO YOU KNOW WHERE THE MINNESOTA INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COMMISSIONER IS ON THE FIRST FRIDAY OF CYBERSECURITY AWARENESS MONTH?

IF YOU SAID RIGHT HERE ON "ALMANAC," YOU WOULD BE CORRECT.

TAREK TOMES JOINS US.

HIS DEPARTMENT IS LEADING A NEW STATEWIDE PLAN TO INCREASE CYBERSECURITY ACROSS 3,500 STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES.

WELCOME.

WHAT'S IN THE PLAN?

>> OH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE PLAN.

IT IS A PLAN THAT WAS A PART OF THE FEDERAL INFRASTRUCTURE BILL THAT ALLOWS US WITH MONEY THAT THE STATE IS MATCHING TO PROVIDE $24 MILLION IN CYBERSECURITY SERVICES, OR FUNDING, TO LOCAL FORMS OF GOVERNMENT.

>> Eric: WHAT DO THEY DO WITH THE MONEY?

>> WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT IS WE MEET ALL ORGANIZATIONS WHERE THEY'RE AT.

AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, LARGE COUNTIES OR CITIES ARE AT A DIFFERENT MATURITY LEVEL AS IT RELATES TO CYBERSECURITY THAN MAYBE A REALLY SMALL RURAL TOWNSHIPS, A SMALL SCHOOL DISTRICT.

AND, SO, SERVICES THAT WE'LL BE PROVIDING ARE THINGS THAT WILL PROTECT EMPLOYEES AND IT WILL PROTECT THE DATA OF MINNESOTANS.

THINGS, YOU KNOW, THAT MAYBE FROM A PUBLIC PERSPECTIVE WE WOULD CONSIDER OR USE THE TERM "ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE," BUT, REALLY, A CORPORATE ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE VERSION ON STEROIDS WITH LOTS OF CAPABILITIES, THINGS THAT THOSE LOCAL FORMS OF GOVERNMENT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE A HARD TIME ACQUIRING JUST FROM A RESOURCE AND CAPACITY PERSPECTIVE.

>> Cathy: HOW DIFFICULT IS IT NOWADAYS TO KEEP AHEAD OF THE CRIMINALS?

>> WELL, IT'S CERTAINLY CHALLENGING.

SOMETIMES, YOU NOW, YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE PLAYING LEAP FROG AND LEAPFROGGING BACK AND FORTH.

AND I THINK AS LONG AS WE TAKE A HOLISTIC VIEW, WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE ALL IN IT TOGETHER, THAT WE DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO EDUCATE NOT JUST ORGANIZATIONS, BUT, REALLY, EDUCATE THE PUBLIC THAT WE ALL HAVE A PART TO PLAY IN THIS.

IT'S REALLY LIKE DRIVING ON STREETS.

WE ALL HAVE A PART TO PLAY IN KEEPING EACH OTHER SAFE, AND I THINK CYBERSECURITY FALLS INTO THAT SAME REALM.

IT'S NOT JUST TECHNOLOGY.

IT'S PEOPLE, PEOPLE BEING AT TIMES, AND BUSINESS PROCESS, HOW WE WORK WITH INFORMATION AND DATA.

>> Eric: ISN'T TOO MUCH DATA BEING COLLECTED?

ISN'T THAT PART OF THE PROBLEM?

>> WELL, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF OPPORTUNITY, AND CERTAINLY AS A GOVERNMENT APPROACH, WE WANT TO COLLECT ONLY THE DATA THAT YOU ACTUALLY NEED TO PROVIDE WHATEVER SERVICE IT IS.

WE REALLY DON'T WANT TO PROVIDE OR COLLECT EXTRA DATA.

>> Eric: YOU SEE OVERREACH, THOUGH?

>> YOU KNOW, NOT REALLY.

I THINK DIGITAL SERVICES HAVE REALLY GROWN IN TERMS OF OPPORTUNITY.

THEY CONNECT PEOPLE WITH HEALTHCARE, THEY CONNECT PEOPLE WITH JOBS, HEY CONNECT PEOPLE WITH THE WAY WE GET INTO OUR STATE PARKS, UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE.

AND, SO, THE WAY PEOPLE INTERACT WITH TECHNOLOGY TO RECEIVE THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR ARE PERVASIVE, EVERYWHERE IN OUR SOCIETY FROM ORDERING A CUP OF COFFEE TO GETTING A DIGITAL PASS TO VISIT A STATE PARK.

AND WE HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO PROTECT THOSE CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE SYSTEMS AND MAKE SURE THAT THOSE SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE.

>> Cathy: DO YOU HAVE THE RESOURCES IN ORDER TO DO THIS JOB WELL?

WHO DO YOU HAVE TO HIRE?

WHO DO YOU HAVE TO PARTNER WITH?

>> WELL, WE REALLY HAVE TO PARTNER WITH A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS BECAUSE IT IS A REALLY HOLISTIC VIEW.

WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO BUILD A STRONG EMPLOYMENT WORKFORCE, EDUCATE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ABOUT CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN CYBERSECURITY, PARTNER WITH UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE ARE APPROPRIATE CYBERSECURITY TRACKS.

MINNESOTA IS HOME TO A LOT OF LARGE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE HUGE TECHNOLOGY NEEDS, AND CERTAINLY ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

THEN WE ALSO HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ROBUST PARTNERSHIPS WITH VENDORS AND THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO EDUCATE THE LEGISLATURE.

WE'VE BEEN REALLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE STRONG SUPPORT IN THE LEGISLATURE FROM MANY PEOPLE THAT REALLY UNDERSTAND THE THREATS THAT WE'RE FACING FROM A CYBER PERSPECTIVE.

>> Eric: DOES WORKING FROM HOME COMPLICATE THINGS?

>> WELL, IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T MAKE IT EASIER.

YOU NOW NOT ONLY HAVE ONE PLACE TO PROTECT, THE OFFICE BUILDING, IF YOU WILL, BUT YOU HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES TO PROTECT.

LUCKILY, THE MATURITY OF THE TECHNOLOGY THAT DOES THAT EXISTS.

WORKING FROM HOME ISN'T NEW.

REALLY WHAT IS DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS MOMENT IN TIME IS THAT THE CAPABILITY, BOTH FROM A BANDWIDTH PERSPECTIVE, BUT ALSO THE COMMUNICATION, COLLABORATION TOOLS, THE THINGS THAT WE USE TO CONNECT ARE REALLY FUNCTIONAL.

SO THAT PART IS WORKING.

CERTAINLY ORGANIZATIONS HAVE HAD TO ADAPT.

PATCHING SYSTEMS THAT ARE NOT JUST IN OFFICES BUT ARE NOW RESIDING IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AND, SO, THE PROCESSES AND MECHANISMS THAT YOU USE HAVE HAD TO ADAPT.

BUT THE CAPABILITY CERTAINLY EXISTS.

>> Cathy: ALL RIGHT.

INTERESTING STUFF.