St. Paul, MN: On October 1, 2020, Governor Tim Walz proclaimed October 2020 “Cybersecurity Awareness Month” in the State of Minnesota. The proclamation, in conjunction with National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, recognizes that the need to create secure environments, protect Minnesotans’ private data, and practice good cyber habits is a constant priority in our increasingly digital world. Cybersecurity is one of the most critical functions that Minnesota IT Services (MNIT) provides in the executive branch, and it functions best when everyone, individual citizens and our state agencies, works together.

“Now more than ever, Minnesotans are making digital connections online to socialize, work from remote locations, and take classes and trainings. There is a shared responsibility between the teams that protect state systems and the people who access them to keep those connections secure. MNIT works hard every day to protect the systems that Minnesotans rely upon, and October is a time when we can share best practices to help everyone understand how they can keep themselves safe.”

Tarek Tomes, CIO for the State of Minnesota, MNIT Commissioner

The State of Minnesota works with citizens and private sector partners along with state, federal, and local units of government to help secure Minnesota’s IT systems. Throughout Cybersecurity Awareness Month, MNIT will share cybersecurity tips on social media to generate public awareness about staying safe online. MNIT will also educate state employees about cybersecurity best practices and reporting procedures through an internal messaging campaign. 

“One of the critical messages for Cybersecurity Awareness Month this October is to consider all of the devices that you need to protect. Our cyber environment at the state includes the devices, systems, software, and so much more. In your home, you should ensure that any technology or device that connects to the internet is secure with a strong password, protected connection, and regularly updated software.”

Rohit Tandon, Chief Information Security Officer, MNIT

While October is the dedicated month for cybersecurity awareness, MNIT places a year-round priority on protecting state data. Find more information about how MNIT secures the state on the /mnit/about-mnit/security/index.jspagency’s public website.  

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About Minnesota IT Services

Minnesota IT Services, led by the state’s Chief Information Officer, is the Information Technology agency for Minnesota’s executive branch, providing enterprise and local IT services to over 70 agencies, boards and commissions. MNIT employs more than 2,000 people across 90 physical locations. Together, we build, maintain, and secure the State’s IT infrastructure, applications, projects and services. MNIT sets IT strategy, direction, policies and standards for enterprise IT leadership and planning. We also serve Minnesotans by connecting all 87 counties, 300 cities, and 200 public higher education campuses across the state on the MNET network. Through public-private partnerships, our team proactively protects the state’s information systems and the private data of 5.5 million Minnesotans.