Center for Internet Security’s Board Chair, John Gilligan, Panelist at New America’s “Cyber-Securing the Nation: A Whole of Nation Approach Summit”

December 6, 2016

Arlington, VA

John Gilligan, the Center for Internet Security’s (CIS) Board Chair and Interim CEO, appeared today on a panel for New America’s Cyber-securing the Nation: A Whole of Nation Approach summit in Washington, D.C. Gilligan participated in the “Leveraging the Power of States & Cities for National Cybersecurity” panel which discussed, “What more can and should we expect from our states and cities as we look to enhance the nation’s cybersecurity?”

“Strengthening the cyber hygiene practices of state, local, tribal and territorial governments is an urgent priority. In addition, we need to find ways to provide cost-effective security services to small public sector entities that do not have the technical or financial resources to deal with this complex issue. CIS’ Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center (MS-ISAC,) which has been designated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as the focal point for cyber threat prevention, protection, response, and recovery for the nation’s state, local, tribal, and territorial (SLTT) governments, is one source for this support.” said Gilligan.

  1. cyber threat intelligence that enables MS-ISAC members to gain situational awareness and prevent incidents;
  2. notifications containing specific incident and malware information that might affect them or their employees;
  3. incident response support
  4. various educational programs and other services.

The summit was prompted in part by President Obama’s Commission on Enhancing National Cybersecurity December 1, 2016 report to the president which has recommendations on bolstering the nation’s cybersecurity.

New America’s position is that while many of the recommendations in the report will require federal government action, the report underlines the fact that enhancing national cybersecurity requires as much, if not more, action at the state and local levels.

New America is a Washington, DC-based think tank and civic enterprise committed to renewing American politics, prosperity, and purpose in the Digital Age.

About the Center for Internet Security

The Center for Internet Security (CIS) is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to enhancing the cybersecurity readiness and response among public and private sector entities. Utilizing its strong industry and government partnerships, CIS combats evolving cybersecurity challenges on a global scale and helps organizations adopt key best practices to achieve immediate and effective defenses against cyber attacks. CIS is home to the Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center (MS-ISAC), CIS Security Benchmarks, and CIS Critical Security Controls. To learn more, visit CISecurity.org and follow us on Twitter: @CISecurity.