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Cybersecurity summit focuses on strengthening security, data practices

Posted at 6:00 PM, Jul 29, 2021
and last updated 2021-07-29 18:00:48-04

ANNAPOLIS, Md. — With recent cyberattacks on Baltimore City infrastructure fresh on our minds, Governor Larry Hogan held a cybersecurity summit in Annapolis on Thursday.

Governor Hogan was pleased about the mulit-agency summit at the state house.

The two and a half hour meeting was divided into three panels:

  • A Federal Perspective: Setting a National Cybersecurity Agenda
  • A State Perspective: Building a Cybersecurity Ecosystem
  • A Private Sector Perspective.

Adam Flasch Director of the joint staff of the Maryland National Guard is all for bringing other agencies into the discussion.

"It enables policy and requirements to match up in order to secure our network and secure our citizens," he said.

At the conference Governor Hogan announced a new partnership with the NSA to have a senior level data analysts advise the state of Maryland on enterprise data practice, policies, standards and security.

Governor Hogan says we've seen how prolific this problem is with the recent Baltimore City ransomware attack and even more recent events.

"We saw an example of that with the Colonial Pipe Line that shut down the whole east coast," he said.

Local state and federal members were at the conference today. Governor Hogan says all parties must be on board to have proper cybersecurity.

"Bipartisan common sense solutions and about federal local and state governments working in conjunction with our private sector and the universities," said the governor. "This is an example of that on another issue that is of critical importance."

Governor Hogan says this is good timing for this summit because cybersecurity and cyber infrastructure is included in the Infrastructure Bill that is being heard by congress.

"The threat is real, It's both international actors, nation state and rough criminal terrorist types," he said.