Lincoln County IT director raises concerns about offline 'Albert' sensor and potential loss of cybersecurity grant access

Lincoln County IT Director Tracy Lee told the Board of Commissioners on Nov. 17 that the county’s Albert cybersecurity sensor — installed roughly a decade ago — is currently offline and that attempts to resolve the issue with the federal partner have been unsuccessful.

Tracy said the Governor’s recent infrastructure changes and shifting grant administration raise questions about whether the county will be able to access federal cybersecurity funds or whether fees will be imposed on users. She told commissioners she will contact the state office to determine potential costs and to decide whether the county should continue to operate the sensor now that the county no longer houses voter data.

Why it matters: an active sensor helps monitor cyber traffic and detect incidents; losing access to federal or state-funded cybersecurity services, or facing new user fees, could raise costs for county IT operations and reduce monitoring capacity.

What the county staff said: Tracy reported the county has not successfully restored the Albert sensor despite involvement of the federal entity CISA. She advised County Clerk Lisa Lloyd that current data holdings (the county no longer stores voter data locally) may make the sensor unnecessary, but she will evaluate the operational need and any fiscal impacts before recommending removal or replacement.

Next steps: Tracy Lee will reach out to the state office administering cybersecurity services for cost estimates and report back to the board; no formal action was taken during the meeting.