IT Staff Praised For Keeping City Networks Secure

Tuesday, October 3rd, 2023

It happens almost every week - another city government or corporation falls victim to a cyber attack and is faced with paying a huge ransom to restore service. Jorge Paez, the City of Dalton's IT director, reads the news about each attack and works harder to make sure the same thing doesn't happen here. For their efforts, Paez and his IT staff were honored Monday night by the Mayor and Council as Mayor David Pennington declared October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Dalton. 

Caption: (from left to right) City IT Director Jorge Paez accepts a proclamation from Mayor David Pennington as IT staff members Bill Lloyd, Adrian Gonzalez, and Andrew McDonald look on

Every year since 2004, October has been set aside as Cybersecurity Awareness Month nationwide to raise awareness of the importance of protecting computer networks from attack. As the United States Government observes Cybersecurity Awareness Month for the 20th year, the Cybersecurty & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) urges all citizens to take four easy steps to stay safe online: use strong passwords, turn on multifactor authorization for all of your online accounts, recognize and report "phishing", and keep your operating software updated regularly. More information about online security is available here. 

The City of Dalton's IT staff regularly performs training for City staff on cybersecurity, utilizing online training resources to teach staff members about the different ways cybercriminals try to steal passwords or otherwise try to gain entry into computer networks. The IT staff also routinely tests the security of the City's network and its users. 

At Monday night's meeting, Mayor David Pennington read a proclamation and thanked Paez and his staff. Paez then recognized each member of his team, including systems administrator Bill Lloyd, senior support specialist Adrian Gonzalez, and network engineer intern Andrew McDonald. Paez pointed out that his team has migrated the City's Exchange server to the cloud to improve security and also has deployed a free wifi network at the City's parks and playing fields. 

Caption: IT staff members Adrian Gonzalez and Jorge Paez direct the internet broadcast of Monday night's Mayor and Council meeting while also controlling the audiovisual presentation for those in attendance

The mayor's proclamation reads:

"WHEREAS, During Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we highlight the importance of safeguarding our Nation’s critical infrastructure from malicious cyber activity and protecting citizens and businesses from ransomware and other attacks. We also raise awareness about the simple steps Americans can take to secure their sensitive data and stay safe online; and

WHEREAS, cyberattacks affect our day-to-day lives, our economy, and our national security. By destroying, corrupting, or stealing information from our computer systems and networks, they can impact electric grids and fuel pipelines, hospitals and police departments, businesses and schools, and many other critical services that Americans trust and rely on every day. That is why it is important to continuously improve our cybersecurity and focus on these main points of cybersecurity:

• Use strong passwords and a password manager: Strong passwords are critical to protecting data. Password managers are a powerful tool to help you create long, random, and unique passwords for each of your accounts.
• Turn on multifactor authentication (MFA): You need more than a password to protect your online accounts and enabling MFA makes you significantly less likely to get hacked.
• Recognize & report phishing: Phishing emails, texts, and calls are the number oneway data gets compromised. Be cautious of unsolicited emails, texts or calls asking for personal information. Avoid sharing sensitive information or credentials over the phone or email unless necessary and don’t click on links or open attachments sent from unknown sources.
• Update software: Ensuring your software is up to date is the best way to make sure you have the latest security patches and updates on your devices.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, I, David Pennington, Mayor of the City of Dalton, Georgia hereby proclaim October 2023 as “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” and I encourage all citizens and residents to share helpful tips and resources with friends and family, especially vulnerable groups like seniors."

To watch the full broadcast of Monday night's Mayor and Council meeting, click "Play" in the window below.