The Lexington, Ky.-based National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) says recent comments from Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano recognizing state and local cyber security as a critical issue raises the topic to a national conversation. NASCIO released a video on the need for better state-level cyber security last year.
Napolitano made the comments at the recent Global Cyber Security Conference on August 4. "So we've got the international aspect of this and the state and local aspect of this," she said, according to NASCIO. "And, I can say — as the former governor and as an attorney general who started one of the first cyber crime units in the country — how very, very important that is." Gopal Khanna, NASCIO president and Minnesota CIO, said he was pleased to hear Napolitano's comments. "Our state CIOs deal continuously with current and emerging threats and are dedicated to IT security. It is important that this be seen as a national issue," Khanna said in a statement.
NASCIO says it recognizes the danger from cyber threats and has a long-standing commitment and focus on cyber security, which includes active committee members, research and government advocacy. The association's video "AT RISK! Securing Government in a Digital World," released in 2008, is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDSni9AjX8Q&feature=channel_page.
