BY JEFF CHUDZINSKINorth Country This Week

CANTON -- October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month in St. Lawrence County.

Legislators made the proclamation during the Sept. 16 Operations Committee meeting.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month was first launched in October 2024 by the National Cyber Security Alliance and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and is observed nationally, officials say.

The theme for 2024 is "Secure Our World."

According to the National Cyber Security Alliance 2023 report, 84% of people consider online safety a priority.

Data breaches have also become more prevalent in recent years, with 95% of data breaches the result of human error, while 46% of all cyber breaches occur with companies that have fewer than 1,000 employees, according to a report by Mastercard.

"Cybersecurity Awareness Month continues to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity across our nation, personally and professionally, ensuring that all Americans have the resources they need to be safer and more secure online," county officials wrote.

In other action, legislators also approved a budget modification for the Information Technology infrastructure equipment and software.

Officials say older displaced network switches have been used to meet a number of unplanned needs, which now have become permanent.

One issue the IT Department has encountered in recent months is a lack of support for the older switches, posing a support and security risk to county departments.

Officials say additional wireless access points are needed to complete wireless network coverage to county office spaces.

"The need for additional monitoring and alerting of network and server equipment trouble has become greater, and will enable the IT Department to respond in a more proactive manner," officials said.

The budget modification to pay for computer hardware and software totals $40,000 and comes from a contingency account, officials said.