County staff to apply for MMRMA cybersecurity grant to update non‑domain laptops

County staff received the board’s approval to submit a grant application to MMRMA, the county’s insurance pool, for cybersecurity software to keep laptops that are not regularly on the county domain up to date.

Eric, the county staff member who presented the request, said the program would address devices taken home by employees and others that miss automatic updates when they are not on the county domain. “If you don't have them on the domain, they don't necessarily update,” he said, explaining that updates scheduled to run at 2 or 3 a.m. may not apply to machines offline from the network.

Staff requested permission to apply for slightly more than $3,000 to add software that would push updates to non‑domain laptops and reduce exposure to cybersecurity threats. The presenter said MMRMA assigns point values to identified vulnerabilities and that higher‑priority issues receive more funding; he described the agency’s new cyber grant program as a resource for members.

There was brief discussion about other possible MMRMA funding areas—sheriff’s office body cameras and encrypted radios were mentioned—and whether the body would seek funding for those items in future rounds. The presenter noted that the grant request for the updating software is modest and that staff expects a reasonable chance of funding.

A motion by Commissioner Smelker, supported by Commissioner Getty, recommended that the Board of Commissioners approve submission of the grant application. The chair called a voice vote and the motion carried.

If funded, staff said the software would be used countywide to help ensure non‑domain laptops receive security updates while offsite.