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Florida's Top Cyber Cop Says Threats Are Constant

Eric Larson, executive director of the Agency for State Technology, says security drills keep state experts up to date on the latest threats.
Agency for State Technology
Eric Larson, executive director of the Agency for State Technology, says security drills keep state experts up to date on the latest threats.

Eric Larson, Florida’s top cyber cop, says even hyper vigilance can’t completely protect the state’s critical data networks from a daily barrage of illegal probes.

Eric Larson, executive director of the Agency for State Technology, says security drills keep state experts up to date on the latest threats.
Credit Agency for State Technology
Eric Larson, executive director of the Agency for State Technology, says security drills keep state experts up to date on the latest threats.

But the executive director of the Agency for State Technology says frequent security drills, like one sponsored Tuesday by Florida National Guard, keep experts familiar with the latest threats.  

“There’s a constant cat-and-mouse game, so it’s not possible to ever get to a perfect state of security. As much as it is pro-active for these types of exercises to practice, it’s also reactive in terms of being able to identify and address issues.”

Larson said hackers are constantly threatening state computer networks that control everything from water supplies to payrolls and health systems. 

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Jim Ash is a reporter at WFSU-FM. A Miami native, he is an award-winning journalist with more than 20 years of experience, most of it in print. He has been a member of the Florida Capital Press Corps since 1992.
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