Cal OES and California Department of Technology lead
Statewide Cybersecurity Task Force Meeting in the Bay Area
Following a year of significant cyber breaches and hacks involving major companies like Target, Home Depot, Sony and others, the California Cybersecurity Task Force held their first meeting of 2015 at Walnut Creek’s City Hall. Multi-agency leaders discussed the progress in the implementation of cybersecurity and cyber resilience in the state and how the collaboration from private sector, industry and government is becoming a model for the rest of the country.
“This year, the initiatives will be to roll out the cybersecurity strategy and framework, to make sure that we continue our collaboration with the private sector and other partners, develop legislation where necessary and continue to improve our relationships with our international partners,” said Cal OES Director Mark Ghilarducci.
The task force is also hoping to make recommendations to Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. with regards to an executive order regarding cybersecurity. On January 13, President Obama unveiled the outlines of legislation that would protect companies from liability for sharing cyber threat information. The measure will also criminalize the sale of stolen financial data and require companies to notify consumers about date breaches.
Among the items that were discussed in today’s meeting were risk mitigation; workforce and education development; cyber emergency preparedness; high tech and digital forensics; economic and business development; legislation and funding; and, information sharing.
“This task force is inclusive, we’re producing actionable items that will allow us to come together and come up with the best method to attack cybercrime,” said California Department of Technology Director Carlos Ramos.
“Cybersecurity is not monolithic, we have to look at every area – utilities, electric systems, etc – what can we do to solve it?” said National Cyber Security Alliance Executive Director (NCSA) Michael Kaiser. “The fact that you are looking at this as a statewide issue is very important.”
The California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) and the California Department of Technology (CDT) created the Cybersecurity Task Force in early 2013, headed by Cal OES Director Mark Ghilarducci and CDT Director Carlos Ramos. Unlike other threats currently facing the country, cyber attacks can have instant, wide-ranging consequences for the state’s broader and economic security interests. Given this unprecedented and rapidly escalating threat, federal agencies as well as State, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments must play a role in educating everyone to identify and deter online dangers.
The next Cybersecurity Task Force will be held on April 14, 2015 in Southern California.
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