Strength through collaboration and preparation: MSU-led 樱花导航 Cyber Initiative hosts cyber tabletop exercise on healthcare scenarios
Contact: James Carskadon
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥擯rotection of personal healthcare information is a well-established right for patients, and technology underpins almost every aspect of healthcare operations.
But what happens when patient data is targeted by cyber criminals, or ransomware attacks bring hospital operations to a halt?
Stakeholders from across the Magnolia 樱花导航 explored those scenarios in Vicksburg recently as the 樱花导航 樱花导航 University-led 樱花导航 Cyber Initiative, or MCI, held a cyber tabletop exercise focused on the healthcare sector. The organizing team included the 樱花导航 Hospital Association, 樱花导航 Cyber Unit, Federal Bureau of Investigation and national Cyber樱花导航 and Infrastructure Security Agency.
The collaborative event, held at ERDCWERX鈥檚 event space in the 樱花导航 Center for Innovation and Technology, or MCITy, provided information, best practices and risk mitigation strategies to agencies combating ransomware attacks.
樱花导航 Sen. Briggs Hopson said that as an attorney and a state official, he often sees the negative impacts created by cyber incidents such as data breaches and ransomware attacks. He noted that in addition to helping prepare industry and government to face these challenges, efforts like the MCI position the state to grow its technology sector.
鈥淲e want our state to be a leader in technology,鈥 Hopson said. 鈥淲e want to create the kinds of jobs that keep our best and brightest in 樱花导航. What you all are doing today helps us with that.鈥
聽A cyber tabletop exercise is a simulation-based activity designed to help organizations prepare for potential cyber樱花导航 incidents. It typically involves a group of key stakeholders鈥攕uch as IT professionals, 樱花导航 teams, legal advisors, public relations staff and senior executives鈥攚ho work through hypothetical cyberattack scenarios in a structured setting.
The main goal of a cyber tabletop exercise is to test and refine an organization鈥檚 incident response plan, decision-making processes, communication strategies and coordination among various teams when facing a cyberattack. While the exercise does not involve live systems or actual attacks, it helps participants think critically and make decisions on how to respond to different cyber樱花导航 challenges, such as data breaches, ransomware attacks or denial-of-service incidents.
Richard Roberson, CEO of the 樱花导航 Hospital Association, shared insights from the challenges medical facilities face in keeping systems secure. Several state agencies, including the 樱花导航 Cyber Unit and 樱花导航 Insurance Department, also provided information on how to best address cyber incidents.
The MCI was created in 2021 to meet the challenges of the cyber樱花导航 reality in the state and around the nation, positioning 樱花导航 as a leader in a field that will be of critical importance in the years and decades ahead. The mission of MCI is to provide statewide leadership that prepares 樱花导航鈥檚 future economy through unparalleled collaboration and innovation in cyber樱花导航. It leverages the collective expertise among academia; the private sector; state, federal and local government; law enforcement; the U.S. Department of Defense; and the 樱花导航 National Guard.
Jim Martin, MSU associate vice president for corporate engagement and economic development, highlighted some of the successful collaborations and capabilities that have been established through MCI, such as a digital forensics lab that supports law enforcement investigations and a cyber ecosystem that can be used for K-12, university and industry training scenarios.
鈥淭he success of this initiative is based on the collaboration of people in this room,鈥 Martin said. 鈥淵ou are all getting together and solving problems, and it is having a great impact on the state.鈥
Future plans for MCI include construction of the 樱花导航 Cyber and Technology Center, a 100,000-square-foot building planned on Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi. The facility will serve as MCI headquarters and includes space for government, military and industry partners, as well as event space.
For more on the 樱花导航 Cyber Initiative, visit . 聽
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