DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate announces a new cybersecurity initiative to ensure the protection of Iowa’s election infrastructure. Iowa is the second state in the nation to create a Vulnerability Disclosure Program (VDP), inviting private sector security researchers to test Iowa’s system. Secretary Pate is partnering with Bugcrowd, a national leader in crowdsourced cybersecurity, for this initiative.

Pate said “We already have a strong infrastructure in place, but election cybersecurity is a race without a finish line. We are bolstering our cyber maturity by allowing responsible testing and reporting of our systems to the private sector.”

VDP is part of the core cybersecurity framework recommended by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Institute of Standard and Technology (NIST). Similar programs are utilized within the federal government and several fortune 500 companies. More than 50 researchers have already partnered with the Secretary of State’s Office on this new venture. To participate in the program, researchers should visit sos.iowa.gov/vulnerabilitydisclosureprogram.html.

“We are excited to partner with the State of Iowa to proactively counter cyber threats with the help of a crowd of researchers that specialize in election security, ensuring a strong and resilient cybersecurity posture and force multiplier to safeguard this year’s election,” said Bugcrowd CEO Ashish Gupta. Protecting elections with proven cybersecurity controls is a top priority for the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office. Forging and building upon critical partnerships with federal, state, and local authorities as well as private sector industry leaders allows for continuous improvements to Iowa’s election infrastructure.

“Our latest partnership with Bugcrowd is yet another proactive measure we are taking to ensure our elections are cyber secure,” said Jeff Franklin, Chief Cybersecurity Officer for the Secretary of State’s Office. “We look forward to actively engaging the private security researcher community so we can strengthen our systems and ensure Iowa continues to be a leader in elections and cybersecurity.”

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Secretary Pate received the prestigious 2019 IDEAS Award from the National Association of Secretaries of State for his efforts to protect election cybersecurity in all 99 counties.

The Guthrie County Sheriff’s Office reports three recent arrests. Authorities say 30-year-old Gabriella Renee Madison, of Coon Rapids, was arrested by the Perry Police Department and then transported to the Guthrie County Jail, where she was wanted on a warrant for Probation Revocation for drug charges. Officials say there is no bond on the warrant until Madison makes an appearance in District Court. The woman was additionally arrested on warrants for two counts of Possession of a Controlled Substance/3rd offense, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Her cash or surety bond on those warrants was set at $5,000.

30-year-old Jesse Leeper, of Audubon, was arrested in Guthrie County, for OWI/2nd offense, and Driver with an Open Container. He was awaiting an initial court appearance. And, 20-year-old William Dawson, of Guthrie Center, was arrested for Driving While Barred. Dawson was being held in the Guthrie County Jail while awaiting an initial appearance.

DES MOINES, IA (Oct. 1, 2020) – Gov. Kim Reynolds has declared October as Healthiest State Month in a virtual proclamation signing. Iowans will join together all month to celebrate 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! – a nationally recognized and evidence-based prevention framework to promote healthy habits. “Helping Iowa’s kids create healthy habits early is an important step in securing a healthy future for our state,” said Gov. Kim Reynolds.

The goal of 5-2-1-0 is to increase physical activity and healthy eating through policy and environmental change. Each week in October will focus on healthy habits promoted by 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count!:

• October 5-9: 1 or more hour of physical activity
  • October 7 – Healthiest State 10^th Annual Walk
• October 12-16: 5 or more fruits or vegetables
  • October 14 – Iowa Local Food Day
  • October 15 – 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! Virtual Summit
• October 19-23: 2 hours or less of recreational screen time
• October 26-30: 0 sugary drinks – drink more water!

Celebrating Healthiest State Month is fun and easy! Free celebration toolkits and resources are available at www.IowaHealthiestState.com/HSImonth for education sites, communities, workplaces, health care clinics and households. The celebration toolkits contain weekly activity ideas, communication templates and sample social media posts. Additional free resources are available including social media graphics, posters, activity sheets and weekly newsletters for your site. “Lifestyle changes due to COVID-19 pandemic have led to many Iowans being less physically active and spending more time on screens,” said Jami Haberl, executive director for the Healthiest State Initiative. “Healthiest State Month is a great motivator to re-prioritize healthy habits in your everyday life.”

The Healthiest State Initiative will also be celebrating Healthiest State Month with weekly 5-2-1-0 themed giveaways on their Facebook page. Iowans are encouraged to share their Healthiest State Month celebrations on social media using the hashtag #HealthyChoicesCount.

5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! Virtual Summit

The annual 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! Summit is going virtual on October 15! The multi-sector event is an opportunity for Iowans to learn more about 5-2-1-0 and strategies to support healthy eating and active living through keynote speakers and breakout sessions. All sessions will be recorded and attendees will also have access to the content following the summit. To learn more and register, visit: www.IowaHealthiestState.com/Summit.

The 5-2-1-0 Virtual Summit and Healthiest State Month is supported by Fareway Stores, Inc., Grinnell Mutual, ITA Group, Capital City Fruit and The Rasmussen Group.

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — University of Iowa President Bruce Harreld has announced plans to retire after the school’s board finds his successor. Harreld, a former corporate executive and Harvard Business School instructor, has led the Big Ten university since 2015. His tenure has been difficult in recent months as the school has faced a coronavirus outbreak, deep budget cuts and heavy turnover in key administrative positions.

Harreld said that he has asked the Iowa Board of Regents to begin the search for his replacement, saying he believes it could take longer than usual given the pandemic. He says he’ll stay on until his successor begins.

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A new monthly survey of business leaders suggests the economy continues to improve in nine Midwest and Plains states, but business remains slower than before the coronavirus pandemic began. The overall index for the region improved to 65.1 in September from August’s already strong 60. Any score above 50 on the survey’s indexes suggests growth. Creighton University economist Ernie Goss said even with the positive growth in the economy, manufacturing output remains well below the level it was at before states began imposing restrictions because of the coronavirus.

The monthly survey covers Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oklahoma and South Dakota.

Sheriff’s officials in Mills County say one person was transported to the hospital following one of two separate accidents, Wednesday. Authorities say at around 5:30-p.m., 36-year-old Lucia Gomez-Cardenas, of Bellevue, NE., was attempting to make a right turn onto 180th Street from Highway 34, when her SUV was struck from behind by a 2003 Toyota Camry driven by 45-year-old Bryan Mead, of Papillion, NE. Gomez-Cardenas was transported to Jenny Edmundson Hospital by Glenwood Rescue.

The other accident happened at around 7-a.m. Wednesday, on the exit ramp from Interstate 29 northbound. The Mills County Sheriff’s Office says a 2018 Nissan driven by 43-year-old Joseph Richardson, of Lincoln, NE, was exiting the Interstate, when his vehicle collided with a legally parked semi on the shoulder of the ramp. Richardson told authorities he had fallen asleep prior to the collision.

The 1998 Peterbilt semi is registered to Chickalah Creek Ranch in Dardenelle, AR. No injuries were reported.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A new initiative in Des Moines encourages CEOs of leading businesses to work toward racial equity. The Des Moines Register reports that the CEO Commitment to Racial Equity initiative was launched Wednesday. It includes a seven-point pledge to focus on increasing workplace and community equality in Des Moines. Those signing the pledge commit to recruit and hire more diverse employees and leadership, invest in inclusive workplace training and use their power to advocate for political change. As of Wednesday, more than 100 organizations had signed on.

More State and area news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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The area’s latest and/or top news stories at 7:06-a.m. From KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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