Rhode Island
Budget restrictions, staff issues, and AI are threats to states’ cybersecurity • Rhode Island Current
Many state chief information and security officers say they don’t have the budget, resources, staff or expertise to feel fully confident in their ability to guard their government networks against cyber attacks, according to a new Deloitte & Touche survey of officials in all 50 states and D.C.
“The attack surface is expanding as state leaders’ reliance on information becomes increasingly central to the operation of government itself,” said Srini Subramanian, principal of Deloitte & Touche LLP and the company’s global government and public services consulting leader. “And CISOs have an increasingly challenging mission to make the technology infrastructure resilient against ever-increasing cyber threats.”
The biennial cybersecurity report, released today, outlined where new threats are coming from, and what vulnerabilities these teams have.
Hackers claim to have published data stolen from Providence Public School Department
Governments are relying more on servers to store information, or transmit it through the Internet of Things, or connected sensor devices. Infrastructure for systems like transit and power is also heavily reliant on technology, and all of the connected online systems create more opportunities for attack.
The emergence of AI is also creating new ways for bad actors to exploit vulnerabilities, as it makes phishing scams and audio and visual deep fakes easier.
Deloitte found encouraging data that showed the role of state chief information and security officer has been prioritized in every state’s government tech team, and that statutes and legislation have been introduced in some states which give CISOs more authority.
In recent years, CISOs have taken on the vast majority of security management and operations, strategy, governance, risk management and incident response for their state, the report said.
But despite the growing weight on these roles, some of the CISOs surveyed said they do not have the resources needed to feel confident in their team’s ability to handle old and new cybersecurity threats.
Nearly 40% said they don’t have enough funds for projects that comply with regulatory or legal requirements, and nearly half said they don’t know what percent of their state’s IT budget is for cybersecurity.
Talent was another issue, with about half of CISOs saying they lacked cybersecurity staffing, and 31% saying there was an “inadequate availability” of professionals to complete these jobs. The survey does show that CISOs reported better staff competencies in 2024 compared to 2020, though.
Staffing of CISOs themselves, due to burnout, has been an increasing issue since the pandemic, the report found. Since the 2022 survey, Deloitte noted that nearly half of all states have had turnover in their chief security officers, and the median tenure is now 23 months, down from 30 months in the last survey.
When it came to generative AI, CISOs seemed to see both the opportunities and risks. Respondents listed generative AI as one of the newest threats to cybersecurity, with 71% saying they believe it poses a “high” threat; 41% of respondents said they don’t have confidence in their team to be able to handle them.
While they believe AI is a threat, many teams also reported using the technology to improve their security operations. Twenty one states are already using some form of AI, and 22 states will likely begin using it in the next year. As with with state legislation around AI, it’s being looked at on a case-by-case basis.
One CISO said in the report their team is “in discovery phase with an executive order to study the impact of gen AI on security in our state” while another said they have “established a committee that is reviewing use cases, policies, procedures, and best practices for gen AI.”
CISOs face these budgetary and talent restrictions while they aim to take on new threats and secure aging technology systems that leave them vulnerable.
The report laid out some tactics tech departments could use to navigate these challenges, including leaning on government partners, working creatively to boost budgets, diversifying their talent pipeline, continuing the AI policy conversations and promoting the CISOs role in digital transformation of government operations.
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Rhode Island
RI Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Jan. 15, 2025
The Rhode Island Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 15, 2025, results for each game:
Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 15 drawing
08-41-52-53-58, Powerball: 07, Power Play: 3
Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 15 drawing
19-31-33-36-46, Lucky Ball: 07
Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Numbers numbers from Jan. 15 drawing
Midday: 7-1-5-9
Evening: 3-7-9-0
Check Numbers payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Wild Money numbers from Jan. 15 drawing
17-18-25-26-33, Extra: 16
Check Wild Money payouts and previous drawings here.
Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results
Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize
- Prizes less than $600 can be claimed at any Rhode Island Lottery Retailer. Prizes of $600 and above must be claimed at Lottery Headquarters, 1425 Pontiac Ave., Cranston, Rhode Island 02920.
- Mega Millions and Powerball jackpot winners can decide on cash or annuity payment within 60 days after becoming entitled to the prize. The annuitized prize shall be paid in 30 graduated annual installments.
- Winners of the Lucky for Life top prize of $1,000 a day for life and second prize of $25,000 a year for life can decide to collect the prize for a minimum of 20 years or take a lump sum cash payment.
When are the Rhode Island Lottery drawings held?
- Powerball: 10:59 p.m. ET on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
- Mega Millions: 11:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday and Friday.
- Lucky for Life: 10:30 p.m. ET daily.
- Numbers (Midday): 1:30 p.m. ET daily.
- Numbers (Evening): 7:29 p.m. ET daily.
- Wild Money: 7:29 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Rhode Island editor. You can send feedback using this form.
Rhode Island
Rubio aligns himself with Trump in confirmation hearing • Rhode Island Current
Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, tapped by President-elect Donald Trump to become secretary of state, found a mostly welcome reception Wednesday during his confirmation hearing. He aligned himself with Trump’s foreign policy positions while also keeping the skeptical tone toward many foreign nations that has been his calling card during his 14 years in the Senate.
Appearing before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, Rubio called China a top threat to the United States and said the war in the Ukraine needs to come to an end. He echoed concerns about growing Chinese influence over the Panama Canal that Trump has voiced, saying it was not a new issue. Trump recently refused to rule out the use of military force when it comes to the fate of the Panama Canal.
“President Trump is not inventing this, this is something that’s existed now for at least a decade,” Rubio said, adding that China could turn the canal into a “choke point” because it controls port facilities at both ends.
Rubio, who is Cuban American, disagreed sharply with the decision announced this week by the Biden administration to remove Cuba from a list of state sponsors of terrorism. After President Joe Biden took that action, the island nation announced it would release more than 500 prisoners.
Rubio would not commit to senators that the Trump administration would reinstate the terrorism designation, saying that decision would be up to Trump. But Rubio added that “nothing that was agreed to is irreversible and binding on the administration.”
Power clash
Rubio, who served as a state legislator and speaker of the Florida House before he ran for U.S. Senate, clashed loudly with Trump when both were running for president in 2016. But after Trump won the nomination, which included a thumping of Rubio soundly in the Florida primary, the two forged an alliance. Rubio emerged as an influential voice on foreign policy, especially as it came to countries in Latin America.
Rubio was reportedly on a short list to become Trump’s vice president, but reports at the time said that some Trump supporters were skeptical about Rubio noting — for example, that he did not object to the election results of 2020.
Rubio supports NATO
Rubio’s confirmation could come as soon as next week and even several Democrats on the committee expressed support for him.
It was during the hearing that news emerged that Israel and Hamas had agreed to a ceasefire deal including a release of hostages.
Rubio defended Israel during his remarks and said that Hamas had used civilians as shields during the 15-month war. He defended the North American Treaty Organization even though Trump has been critical of the organization. Rubio insisted Trump supports NATO but said he agreed with the president-elect that European countries need to contribute more to help pay for their own defense.
Rubio said he still supports a law he co-sponsored that prevents any president from unilaterally withdrawing from NATO without approval from Congress.
The hearing was briefly interrupted by protesters, with one person yelling at Rubio about “forever wars” while another protester could be heard speaking in Spanish about babies in Nicaragua and Cuba. “I get bilingual protesters,” Rubio quipped afterward.
DeSantis’ Senate pick
Rubio’s imminent departure from the Senate will give Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis a chance to appoint someone to hold the seat until it comes up for election in 2026. DeSantis said this week that he had talked about the position with U.S. Reps. Kat Cammack and Cory Mills, but said he was unlikely to appoint someone now in the House because Republicans hold such a slim majority in the chamber.
Some media outlets have flagged Attorney General Ashley Moody as a top contender to replace Rubio.
Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: [email protected].
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Rhode Island
Taylor Swift is renovating her mansion in Westerly, R.I. These are the planned upgrades. – The Boston Globe
In all, the work is expected to cost $1.7 million, the records show.
A video posted on TikTok earlier this week showed workers at the home loading wood into an area of the home that was already under construction.
A few commenters offered guesses about what Swift may be doing with the extra space.
“She’s installing the Eras Tour stage, per my request,” quipped one.
Wrote another: “She’s finally getting my guest room ready!”
Property records show the 12,657-square-foot, 1904 mansion, which has sweeping views of the Block Island Sound and a private pool, already boasts seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms.
Swift snagged the mansion in 2013 for approximately $17.75 million – reportedly paying for the property in cash. Records show the home now has an assessed value of about $20.67 million.
Over the years, Swift has hosted numerous summer parties and getaways for her circle of celebrity friends at the home. She welcomed Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Bradley Cooper, and her boyfriend, Travis Kelce, to name a few, this past summer.
Swift has also given Holiday House her signature songwriting treatment.
For 2020’s “Folklore,” she penned, “The Last Great American Dynasty,” which details the home’s storied past with previous owner Rebekah Harkness, a mid-century heiress who married William Hale Harkness, a Standard Oil heir.
Not unlike Swift, Harkness was known for throwing lavish parties, sometimes drawing the ire of locals. It’s a comparison Swift – who faced some criticism herself, such as when she posted “No Tressing” signs around her property and some beach barricades after moving in – invites in the song.
“Fifty years is a long time/ Holiday House sat quietly on that beach/ Free of women with madness, their men and bad habits/ And then it was bought by me,” she sings. “Who knows, if I never showed up, what could’ve been/ There goes the loudest woman this town has ever seen/ I had a marvelous time ruining everything.”
Christopher Gavin can be reached at christopher.gavin@globe.com.
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