Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Cybersecurity topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County hears cybersecurity‑assessment pitch; vendor agrees to work with legal on liability and cost items
Summary
County IT described a planned assessment ahead of a separation from Auburn; vendor Jeff Rader outlined an 8–12 week assessment and agreed to work with county counsel on travel/cost and liability language before commissioners take final action.
DeKalb County’s IT leadership told the commissioners on June 8 they recommend a third‑party cybersecurity and infrastructure assessment prior to separating county IT services from Auburn’s systems. The assessment would inventory county IT assets, identify gaps, and recommend steps to harden operations over a typical 8–12 week engagement.
Consultant Jeff Rader addressed commissioners’ concerns about contractor travel costs and liability language. Commissioners asked that any travel, delivery or overnight costs be folded into the quoted engagement fee and questioned a contract clause that limited vendor liability for cyber incidents. Rader said the firm would work with the county attorney to adjust the travel/cost language and to clarify liability language — he acknowledged that "in cybersecurity, there is no 100% protection or guarantee" but said vendors remain liable for gross negligence and that the engagement would be structured to emphasize recoverability and layered defenses.
Commissioners asked for an updated contract that includes revised travel/cost assumptions, a two‑year statute‑of‑limitations or venue change (the vendor agreed to discuss), and clearer language on responsibilities. The board did not vote to award the contract at the meeting; staff and the vendor agreed to revise the proposal and return once legal items are resolved.
