With looming threats from hackers, the dark web and ransomware, the cybersecurity world is a world that never sleeps. Nonstop attacks against governments, businesses and individuals require unprecedented vigilance and rapid-response capabilities to keep data and information technology systems safe and secure.
Washington state today joined a multi-state compact led by the National Governors Association to support cybersecurity efforts. Signatories to the compact commit to building a state cybersecurity governance structure, preparing and defending their state against cybersecurity threats and growing the nation’s cybersecurity workforce.
Washington is ahead of the curve in all three areas, Gov. Jay Inslee said.
“Increasingly sophisticated cyber attacks call for increasingly sophisticated cybersecurity, and we’ve been on the leading edge of this effort for years,” Inslee said. “We have a dedicated cybersecurity office that defends against hundreds of attacks a year, we’ve engaged with our military department and utility companies to protect our infrastructure, and we’re cultivating some of the smartest cybersecurity minds in the world at our colleges and universities. We’re eager to share our expertise with other states and learn about other strategies to further strengthen our defenses.”
Washington was recognized as the first state to find a role for its National Guard in cybersecurity planning and the identification of vulnerabilities in the state’s networks. The Washington National Guard has also partnered with local utilities in an unprecedented initiative to identify and defend against threats to the state’s energy grid.
Read the rest of the story on the governor’s Medium page.