CyberWyoming Helps Legal Aid Services Navigate New Cybersecurity Requirement
On Jan 1, 2023, legal aid organizations across the country faced a new challenge—a cybersecurity risk assessment requirement. With compliance deadlines approaching, Raymond Macchia, Executive Director of Legal Aid of Wyoming, reached out to CyberWyoming for a solution that fit his organization’s needs without unnecessary complexity.
Due to increasing risk of loss due to data breaches, recipients are required to conduct an annual risk assessment of their physical and digital assets. The risk assessment should also include the organization’s electronic banking policies and procedures to identify areas that need additional safeguards and protections. Risk assessment procedures will vary by grantee, but the process should:
- Identify the physical and digital assets susceptible to cyberattacks.
- Identify risks to those assets (risks should be evaluated annually for changes).
- Evaluate the risks (e.g., high, medium, or low) based on likelihood and impact.
- Document the results of the risk assessment, including the development and implementation of appropriate controls.
After extensive research and development, CyberWyoming introduced its right-sized Cyber Risk Score in late 2023. Designed by a team with over 100 years of networking, business, and technology experience, the Cyber Risk Score simplifies the complex cybersecurity landscape. It was rigorously tested in early 2024 and is now available for businesses that need a practical, tailored risk assessment tool.
For micro businesses—those with fewer than 10 employees, fully cloud-based operations, no central server controlling user access, and no dedicated IT staff—the traditional NIST 800-171 framework can be overwhelming. With 110 controls, many of them redundant or inapplicable to small organizations, compliance can feel impossible. That’s where CyberWyoming’s Cyber Risk Score comes in, offering a streamlined approach that makes sense for smaller teams.
Using this new tool, Raymond was able to efficiently complete the cybersecurity risk assessment, ensuring compliance with the new regulations without the burden of unnecessary technical requirements.
Legal Aid of Wyoming fits this profile and has between 18 and 25 employees.
CyberWyoming continues to support small businesses and legal aid organizations in navigating cybersecurity challenges with solutions that fit their unique needs. If your organization is facing new cybersecurity requirements, reach out to see how the Cyber Risk Score can help.
“Our goal is to provide businesses with cybersecurity solutions that are effective, practical, and right-sized for their operations. We know one-size-fits-all doesn’t work in cybersecurity,” said Laura Baker, Executive Director, CyberWyoming.
For more information about programs for out-of-state legal agencies: https://cyberwyoming.org/programs/cyber-training/
For more information about programs for in-state legal agencies: https://cyberwyoming.org/programs/competition/
For general inquiries: info@cyberwyoming.org
