Secret cybersecurity deal submitted to Nassau legislature, still shrouded in secrecy

                                                                                        

Nassau County legislature

Will the Nassau legislature today give away it's power to publicly approve and debate contracts of $1,000 or more, ceding its voter-granted authority to County Executive Bruce Blakeman and the county IT commissioner?

The Republican-controlled legislative Rules Committee is scheduled to consider a one-page resolution that would ratify an unnamed personal services agreement awarded by the "Shared Services" Commissioner and executed by Blakeman.

It gives no details about the purpose of the personal services agreement, who it is with, how much it costs or its length.

The resolution also authorizes Blakeman to execute "any and all" related agreements, again with no requirement that the legislature or the public see them and know their cost.

Insiders say the unnamed contract is with a cybersecurity expert to guard Nassau's computer systems.

It comes after Suffolk County suffered a cyberattack that left its operations reeling for weeks.

The word is that any discussion of the deal will be done behind closed doors.

Reportedly Blakeman contends that even identifying the vendor will expose the county to attack.

It's hard to see how public money can be spent without the public knowing what is being spent and how.

National security does not fall under the county's purview.

But every county executive from the start of the county legislature in 1996 has claimed hidden powers to avoid the legislature and bypass the public.

Other contracts often run more than a hundred pages with disclosures and caveats no matter how small the cost.

Let's see what Presiding Officer Rich Nicolello (R-New Hyde Park), the only legislator that has been around since 1996, decides to do, because he's the one that controls approval or rejection of the deal.

Here is the only written information  submitted for this deal.