The city investigates about 50 cyber attacks on its systems each week. Now, a couple dozen city workers are being mobilized to help prevent threats through the city’s first Cyber Command Academy.

The academy helps strengthen city agencies’ cyber security.

“The important thing is everyone has one important goal,” said FDNY Cyber Security Engineer Chen Ying He, who works in IT security for the department.

What You Need To Know

  • The city investigates about 50 cyber attacks on its systems each week

  • Twenty-one city employees graduated from the Cyber Command Academy on Tuesday, and became certified as an extension of the city’s Cyber Command

  • The Cyber Command has more than 100 employees, and there are still 40 open positions officials want to hire this year

Without the work of people like He, a cyber attack on the FDNY could direct responding crews to the wrong address, costing precious time, and potentially, lives.

“It’s very critical for cyber security to be in any agency to make sure there is no malicious activity,” He said.

He is one of 21 city employees who took part in the program, from nearly two dozen agencies. They graduated on Tuesday, and became certified as an extension of the city’s Cyber Command.

Kelly Moan, the Chief Information Security Officer for the city, said staffing for Cyber Command has proven difficult.

“Across the world, it doesn’t matter if you’re a city agency or a private sector entity," Moan said. "Finding folks that are in cyber security is incredibly hard."

Cyber Command has more than 100 employees. There are still 40 open positions officials want to hire this year.

The four-week cyber academy invests in people like He, who already work for the city, making them cyber liaisons to the agency, which helps to fill the employment gap.

“Now we have cyber liaisons who have the opportunity to do hands-on investigations and work cyber security to only make them stronger, and ultimately the city stronger,”  Moan said.

Graduates now know how to handle things like phishing attacks, which attempt to get users to click on a bad link, or something called “spoofing,” where a criminal disguises themselves as a trusted source, both of which can compromise network security.

Moan said people who are in the program don’t have to have a cyber security background, just a curiosity or love of the field. They're now using that to help keep the city secure.