City Of Cookeville Adopts New Official Cybersecurity Policy

Cookeville City Council has adopted a new policy for cybersecurity practices.

IT Supervisor Steve Corder said this will serve as the city’s first-ever cybersecurity policy. He said it primarily came about as a result of new legislation requiring all public utilities to prepare and implement a cybersecurity plan.

“There was an opportunity here to take it a step further than just having plan and actually having things on paper that I felt pretty strongly needed to be there,” Corder said.

Corder said that includes an acceptable use policy. He said that is a list of prohibited activities for city employees and contractors while using city resources.

Corder said many of the items in the policy are things the city already does at the minimum level. He said that includes things like physical security of IT assets, passwords, multi-factor authentication and other similar items.

“So it’s just all in one nice, neat document,” Corder said. “That kind of just says ‘Hey this is how we’re doing business in the city of Cookeville in regard to cybersecurity.'”