Department of Finance requests six examiners to bolster cybersecurity and elder-fraud investigations

Department of Finance director Patty Perkins and Legislative Services Office budget analyst Noah Peterson told the Joint Finance Appropriations Committee on Jan. 21 that the agency is requesting six full‑time positions and $816,600 from state regulatory funds in fiscal year 2026 to expand its examination and investigation capacity, with a focus on information‑technology and cybersecurity work.

The request is intended to add specialized capacity across the department’s three bureaus — the Financial Institutions Bureau, the Consumer Finance Bureau and the Securities Bureau — and includes two IT‑focused examiners, two financial investigator 3 positions (IT examination focus), an IT examiner and a forensic accounting specialist. Noah Peterson, budget and policy analyst with the Legislative Services Office, told the committee the package appears on LBB page 5‑025 and that the governor recommended the items except for the two Consumer Finance Bureau investigator‑3 positions.

Why it matters: Director Patty Perkins said the request responds to a growing problem of cybercrime and fraud targeting Idahoans, particularly older residents. “There is a huge increase in cybercrime,” Perkins…