In post-9/11 America, states have accepted more responsibility in protecting their citizens. And as the firm grip of technology tightens around our daily lives and the most basic operations of government, one state is stepping up to the proverbial plate as a leader in the cybersecurity field.
New Jersey is perhaps best known for the “Parkway” and former presidential hopeful Gov. Chris Christie. But some might argue that it should be getting attention for its novel fusion center approach to cybersecurity.
Eleven months ago, the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC) took root within the state's Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (NJOHSP) as a counterpunch to the escalating online threats posed by a widening cast of bad actors. The mission: Find the threats, mitigate the threats and share the intelligence gathered in the process with everyone else.
According to Chief Information Security Officer Dave Weinstein, the statewide program is modeled after the Department of Homeland Security National Cybersecurity Communications Integration Center (NCCIC), and leverages a multi-pronged strategy to head off potentially damaging attacks.
“There is obviously a lot of intersection between what we are doing in the cybersecurity space and the [intelligence] space around threat analysis and information sharing,” he told Government Technology. “We have focused a lot over the first year on building our analytic capacity with support from [NJOHSP intelligence] and our technical capacity on the operational side of the house to just start sharing information in real time with the private sector …”
In addition to monitoring the larger cybersecurity landscape in the Garden State, the shop also builds in coordination with other vital agencies and departments. Engineers, analysts and communications experts are all on hand to address issues as they arise.
“Notably, we have collocated this organization with our state emergency operations center," Weinstein said, "so as we continue to build out our sharing and analytical capacity, as well as our ability to detect threats, we want to move further along the spectrum of responding to those threats, not only against the state government but threats against businesses and local governments in New Jersey."
Rosemary Martorana is the director of intelligence for NJOHSP, and said the information gleaned from the cyber side of the operation is increasingly valuable to counter-terrorism efforts within the state.
“Although right now most terrorist organizations possess the intent to conduct these destructive cyberattacks, they don't have the capability," she said. "But looking -- For more information read the original article here.