CISA adviser briefs Mobile County staff on ransomware, AI phishing and urges multi‑factor authentication

Clyde Rourke, a cybersecurity adviser with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and a cryptologic warfare officer in the Navy Reserve, told Mobile County staff during a training session that local governments are “very juicy target[s]” for nation‑state actors and organized ransomware gangs and described practical steps employees can take to reduce risk.

Rourke opened by showing a CISA video explaining the agency’s mission and noted: “In a globally interconnected world with interdependent infrastructure, threats to one are a threat to all.” He told attendees CISA supports federal, state, local, tribal and territorial partners with information, tools and training to protect critical infrastructure such as water, wastewater and the electrical grid.

Why it matters: Rourke said smaller local governments are attractive targets because a successful attack generates news coverage and public alarm. He cited recent shifts in ransom demands and methods — including greater use of artificial intelligence to craft highly targeted phishing messages — and said the effects of a cyberattack can mimic those of a natural disaster by…