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In the News – This Week in Critical Infrastructure: Week of November 27, 2017

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This Week in Critical Infrastructure we look at efforts from bipartisan groups in both the House and Senate to address infrastructure investment and election security, as well as an annual event Facebook uses to build a culture of cybersecurity awareness among employees. We conclude with a look at a new report from Moody’s that suggests bond ratings for cities and states may begin to suffer if communities fail to prepare for the impacts of climate change, including rising coastal waters and extreme weather events.


Bipartisan Lawmakers Ready Infrastructure Report Amid Questions over White House Plan

Melanie Zanona reports for The Hill on efforts by a bipartisan group of legislators to craft a plan for infrastructure that could serve as a blueprint for the Trump administration in the new year. Developed over the course of about two months of meetings, the plan would include funding offsets in the form of increased gas taxes to cover the cost of much-needed investments.

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Our Democracy Depends on Secure Elections

In this contribution for WIRED, Senators Martin Heinrich and Susan Collins argue for the importance of ensuring the integrity of the election process. To this end, they have introduced the Securing America’s Voting Equipment (SAVE) Act to codify the designation of elections systems as critical infrastructure by statute and create a DHS grant program to help states upgrade voting systems.

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How Facebook’s Annual “Hacktober” Campaign Promotes Cybersecurity to Employees

Betsy Bevilacqua, Head of Information Security Programs and Operations for Facebook, writes on the company’s “Hacktober” tradition for Harvard Business Review. Recognizing the importance of the human aspects of cybersecurity,
Facebook takes efforts year-round to build awareness of secure cyber practices, with Hacktober, a month-long event focused on building a culture of security, serving as the centerpiece.

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Cities and States Could See Their Credit Ratings Crash if They Don’t Start Preparing for Climate Change

Jeremy Berke reports for Business Insider on a recent report from Moody’s that lays out how the credit rating agency will evaluate the impact of climate change on cities and states in its ratings for bond issuers. Based on this guidance, communities that fail to prepare will likely see ratings suffer and interest rates increase.

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