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Commissioners weigh managed devices and CJIS rules for county email access
Summary
Commissioners reviewed options to secure county email access after staff raised CJIS compliance concerns; options include county‑managed tablets/iPads, two‑factor authentication, hardware tokens and per‑user service costs. Commissioners requested time to decide device and access policy.
Somerset County commissioners spent an extended workshop segment discussing cybersecurity for commissioner email access after staff reported the county must meet CJIS (FBI Criminal Justice Information Services) security standards for some services.
IT staff (introduced as Pavel/Parvel in the meeting) described several options: issuing county‑managed tablets or laptops, implementing mobile‑device management that would permit remote wiping of county accounts, using two‑factor authentication or hardware tokens, and assigning per‑user security subscriptions (staff cited an option limited to cell‑phone access at about $7 per user per month). Staff said managed devices would allow IT to control only the county account and not commissioners’ personal accounts, and that the county could configure access so email is stored on the issued device rather than a personal laptop.
Commissioners expressed a range of preferences. Some favored keeping email on personal phones for convenience but acknowledged the security risk; others preferred a county‑managed tablet to separate personal and county accounts and to allow IT to enforce policies. Speaker 5 emphasized that managed devices permit remote wipe and control of county data while leaving personal accounts untouched. Speaker 2 noted cyber‑insurance premiums can be affected by organizational security posture.
No formal policy was adopted at the meeting. Commissioners asked staff to prepare options, costs, and a short implementation plan so the board can decide at a future meeting.
Next steps: IT will complete the migration of remaining county groups to the new email cloud in January and provide commissioners with a recommendation on device issuance, management, and any recurring costs.
