NYSAC Hosts Training on Preventing Phishing Attacks

New York State local governments are under constant and evolving threat from cyber actors, with phishing attacks remaining one of the most common—and costly—methods used to target counties and municipalities.

To help county leaders and staff better understand and defend against these threats, NYSAC recently hosted a virtual training session focused on phishing prevention. The webinar addressed the growing rise of phishing attacks, which are deceptive attempts by cyber criminals to impersonate trusted individuals or organizations in order to gain fraudulent access to money and/or sensitive information.

During the training, participants learned how phishing schemes are carried out, why local governments are frequent targets, and the significant financial and operational risks these attacks can pose. The session also provided practical, actionable prevention tactics that counties of all sizes can implement to strengthen their cybersecurity posture and reduce vulnerability to phishing attempts.

The training was presented by the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services (DHSES) Cyber Incident Response Team (CIRT), whose experts shared real-world insights and best practices drawn from their work assisting local governments across the state.

For those who were unable to attend—or who would like to revisit the material—the full webinar recording and presentation slides are available below.