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PIERRE, S.D. (KELO.com) — South Dakota is spending $7 million to battle against cyberattacks that have recently affected government operations in Pennington County, Rapid City and Mitchell.
Here is South Dakota News Watch reporter Bart Pfankuch with an update.
Former Governor Kristi Noem turned down more than $5 million in cybersecurity grants offered by the Biden administration in 2023, so instead the state is spending its own taxpayer money to fight off hackers.
Hacks are far more common than most people think. The Attorney General’s Office received reports of nearly 1,100 hacks of individuals, businesses and government entities over the past five years, including about 125 this year so far.
Disruptive attacks have occurred in recent years in Brown County and in Tripp County in 2025, where an employee was tricked into sending more than $800,000 to a fake account.
The state has two related programs to help local governments and utilities fight off hacks, including Secure SD and Project Boundary Fence.
Both are operated out of Dakota State University in Madison, and both are aimed at analyzing government systems for weaknesses, training employees to keep information secure and providing guidance on fighting off cyberattacks.
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