CBS reports that recently Maryland Governor Martin O’Malley and Senator Barbara Mikulusk (D. Maryland) came together in the Maryland statehouse and created a partnership by bringing together federal, state and private industry actors to expand the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence and move it into a permanent home.
The National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence was established in 2012 as a partnership between the National Institute of Standards Technology (NIST), the State of Maryland and Montgomery County. Its mission is to “further innovation through the rapid identification, integration and adoption of practical, standards-based cybersecurity solutions.”
According to WUSA-9, Maryland has set the goal of becoming the epicenter of the nation for cybersecurity. Currently, Fort Meade, Maryland serves as the headquarters for the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command. Governor O’Malley credited the growing field of cybersecurity for producing high-quality jobs for Maryland citizens. Senator Mikulusk mirrors the Governor’s sentiment commenting on how the new center will ensure that Maryland will be at the forefront in the development of cyber technology and the creation of cyber jobs.
The private sector has also joined the mission in expanding and enhancing the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, this last report continues, as companies like Microsoft, Symantec and 14 other companies signed on to contribute to this expansion.
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