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County IT wins $100,000 cybersecurity grant and approves $321,765 RingCentral SBITA budget
Summary
Craven County IT staff reported a $100,000 federal cybersecurity grant award to implement an enterprise-grade security monitoring system and the board approved a $321,765 budget amendment for a RingCentral cloud communications subscription (SBITA) under GASB 96 accounting guidance.
Craven County’s information technology department told commissioners on July 21 that it received a $100,000 federal grant under the State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program to implement an enterprise-grade security monitoring system.
IT Director Steve Bennett said the funding will be used to install a monitoring system that analyzes activity across county IT systems to detect cyberattacks and vulnerabilities; the funds are reimbursable under the grant agreement and the board was asked to approve a budget amendment for $100,000.
Bennett also briefed the board on a planned migration of the county’s telephone system to RingCentral, a cloud-based communications platform. County staff determined the arrangement qualifies as a subscription-based information technology arrangement (SBITA) under Governmental Accounting Standards Board Statement 96 (GASB 96). The board approved a $321,765 budget amendment for RingCentral services and devices.
Both budget amendments were approved by roll call.
Why it matters: the cybersecurity grant funds technical defenses for county systems, and the RingCentral SBITA represents a multi-year subscription expense subject to GASB 96 accounting that will change how the county budgets and reports subscription IT expenses.
