Cal OES outlines Cybersecurity Awareness Month programs and free services for public agencies

The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services posted Oct. 6 that it is marking Cybersecurity Awareness Month with programs, exercises and technical services for state and local partners; the announcement is from Cal OES.

Cal OES said it is sponsoring free access to the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center for qualified California state, local and tribal agencies; the agency said 812 entities have enrolled through Cal OES so far and it encouraged all eligible agencies to sign up.

Through the State and Local Cybersecurity Grants Program, Cal OES said it awarded 114 grants to tribal governments, cities, counties, community services districts, educational institutions, water and sanitary districts and other public agencies; the office said nearly $11.5 million was announced in January 2026 for the next round of funding from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Cal OES described the 2026 Cyber Dawn exercise as a statewide drill to strengthen cyber incident coordination; the exercise focused on hands-on technical training and integrating Digital Forensics and Incident Response teams with state and local IT professionals, and Cal OES said lessons learned will inform future training and response coordination.

The California Cybersecurity Task Force, Cal OES said, advises senior state officials and includes seven subcommittees with members from government, private industry, academia and law enforcement; Cal OES said the Emerging Technology Subcommittee examines risks and opportunities tied to emerging technologies including artificial intelligence and biotechnology and that interested experts can register through the CCTF portal.

Cal-CSIC services listed by Cal OES include comprehensive internal and external vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, digital forensics and incident response, and tailored cyber threat intelligence and phishing analysis; the office said partners can request services at caloes.ca.gov/cyber.

Cal OES also published 10 practical tech-safety tips for individuals and organizations; key recommendations include using strong, unique passwords and a password manager, enabling multi-factor authentication, keeping software and devices updated, regularly backing up data and being wary of suspicious links and unexpected requests.

For public agencies: enroll in the MS-ISAC sponsorship to get 24/7 cybersecurity expertise, consider applying for SLCSGP grants, and request Cal-CSIC assessments or incident response if you need technical support; for individuals: follow the listed tech-safety steps to reduce common cyber risks.

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