Letters

My name is Mark Bernardo, and I am running for the office of Southampton Town clerk. My wife, Lisa, and I have resided in Westhampton Beach for over 11 years.

I have over 50 years of experience in computer animation and visual effects. My wife and I have raised our son, Dr. Sebastian Bernardo.

If I am successful in this election, the first task at hand is a comprehensive cybersecurity audit of the data systems and records of the Southampton Town clerk’s office. In an age where almost every aspect of government is digitized, the recent rise in cyber attacks targeting state and local government systems should alarm us all. Towns and cities across the country — often operating with outdated systems and limited IT budgets — have become prime targets for hackers seeking to steal sensitive records, disrupt services or demand ransoms.

When a local government is hacked, it’s not just a technical issue — it’s a public safety concern. These breaches can expose confidential data, like Social Security numbers, voter registrations, property records and even police reports. In some cases, town operations have been shut down for days or weeks, paralyzing essential services and eroding public trust.

Too often, small municipalities lack the resources or expertise to mount a strong cyber defense. But cyber threats don’t discriminate based on town size. That’s why there must be a coordinated effort, at the local, state and federal level, to strengthen cybersecurity protections across all levels of government.

This includes regular security audits, increased funding for IT infrastructure, employee training on phishing and social engineering attacks, and partnerships with cybersecurity professionals. It’s also critical that municipalities have a clear response plan in place before an attack happens.

Cybersecurity is not a luxury; it’s a necessity in today’s digital world. Our towns and states hold critical data that, if compromised, can affect every resident. Let’s not wait for another high-profile breach to take action.

At the recent Bridgehampton/Noyac civic association meeting on October 8, my opponent stated, “It is not the job of the town clerk to secure this data.” Amazing!

At the same meeting, I was asked by a young citizen how much it would cost to secure our identity information. I answered that the cost of a data breach would far outweigh any IT cyber security audit.

Mark Bernardo

Westhampton Beach

Bernardo is the Democratic candidate for Southampton Town clerk — Ed.