Rae DeShong on Muck Rack

Rae DeShong

Texas
As seen in: Government Technology, Google News, Center for Digital Education (CDE), Industry Insider, San Luis Obispo Tribune, The Modesto Bee, Merced Sun-Star, Threat Beat
Covers:  Cybersecurity, Modernization, Workforce & People, Civic Tech, GovTech, Public Sector

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Rae DeShong’s Biography

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Day job: Covering cybersecurity in the state and local government sector, focusing on trends, planning, resilience, implementation and training. I also cover executive changes -- think CIO, CISO, CTO, etc.

Freelance opportunities welcome: People and workforce, book reviews, regional happenings. Additional clips available.

Rae DeShong’s Journalist Portfolio

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Maryland Expands Privacy Rules for State Agencies, Vendors

Maryland Expands Privacy Rules for State Agencies, Vendors

The Maryland Data Privacy and Protection Act of 2026 limits how agencies collect and retain resident data and…

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Kansas Bolsters Cybersecurity With New Shared Services Model

Kansas Bolsters Cybersecurity With New Shared Services Model

A pair of recently signed laws have given Kansas the ability to offer shared IT and cyber services to local g…

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Maine Law Requires Hospitals to Enact Cybersecurity Plans

Maine Law Requires Hospitals to Enact Cybersecurity Plans

The law, which requires annual cyber training for staff, is aimed at reducing clinical risk and ensuring that…

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Ryan Murray

Ryan Murray

CISO, Arizona

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Bruce Coffing

Bruce Coffing

CISO, Chicago

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New Law Expands West Virginia Cybersecurity Oversight

New Law Expands West Virginia Cybersecurity Oversight

This law reaffirms the state's cybersecurity office, requires annual agency reviews and expands departmental …

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Articles

California, Texas Among First States in Anthropic Cyber Cohort

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By Rae DeShong
| Government Technology Verified
After months of working with and convening public-sector cybersecurity leaders, Anthropic has pledged up to $15 million in credits to help SLTTs use its Claude Security, Claude Code and the latest Opus 4.8 model to identify vulnerabilities and help remediate them, Danielle Cohen, Anthropic policy communications lead, state and local, said. The inaugural cohort launched Thursday and additional groups are expected to begin work over the summer.
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How St. Paul, Minn., recovered from a ransomware attack

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By Rae DeShong
| Threat Beat
(Goodfreephotos / Pixabay) By Rae D. DeShong • Jun 01, 2026 When ransomware struck St. Paul, Minn., last July, Chief Information Officer Jaime Wascalus turned to the city’s Emergency Management Department as IT teams began shutting down portions of the network. The response moved beyond City Hall, with a recovery effort that included Minnesota Information Technology Services (MNIT), federal and state investigators, private-sector cybersecurity specialists, and the Minnesota National Guard.
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How St. Paul, Minn., Recovered From a Ransomware Attack

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By Rae DeShong
| Merced Sun-Star Verified
May 29-When ransomware struck St. Paul, Minn., last July, Chief Information Officer Jaime Wascalus turned to the city's Emergency Management Department as IT teams began shutting down portions of the network. The response moved beyond City Hall, with a recovery effort that included Minnesota Information Technology Services (MNIT), federal and state investigators, private-sector cybersecurity specialists, and the Minnesota National Guard.
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Interview

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What was your first job as a journalist?

Does stuffing the town newspaper count? I first worked in a very small newspaper office putting the grocery store circulars in the weekly.

Have you ever used a typewriter?

Yes, we took typing classes at my junior high and high school. My mom was an excellent typist, so we learned earlier, actually.

How is social media changing news?

It has taken all the guardrails off, requiring readers to be more information literate and critical than ever before.
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