BOSTON – October 7, 2015 – Governor Charlie Baker has proclaimed October “Cyber Security Awareness Month” in Massachusetts in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month, to engage and educate both the public and private sectors about preparedness for issues related to cyber security.
“This month is a great opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of cyber security for the people of Massachusetts, our businesses, and state government,” said Governor Charlie Baker. “The cyber security field also represents a great opportunity for Massachusetts to utilize the multidisciplinary collection of assets and capacities in our universities, our industries and our government to be a leader globally in cybersecurity services.”
“MassIT’s Enterprise Security Office is essential to ensuring the security of the state’s data,” said Kristen Lepore, Secretary of the Executive Office for Administration and Finance. “Their collaboration with the federal government and national groups like Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center (MS-ISAC) allows the state to share best practices about cyber security with our partners at the local level.”
“We recognize that the single most important element of cyber security for constituents is safeguarding their private, personal information,” said Kevin Burns, the Commonwealth’s Chief Information Security Officer. “Ensuring privacy and security to the greatest possible extent is central to our work and to help us in that endeavor, we are fortunate to actively collaborate and partner with the nation’s most critical players in this space – from the Department of Homeland Security and Multi-State Information Sharing & Analysis Center to industry-leading private sector organizations.”
The Commonwealth’s cyber security operation is led by MassIT’s Enterprise Security Office, which is responsible for making sure state data is private, secure, accurate, and available to those who need it. The Enterprise Security Office works with groups on both the federal and municipal level to share information and defend against any threats.
To raise awareness throughout the month of October, MassIT will be posting new content on the state’s cyber security homepage: www.mass.gov/cybersecurity. A digital cyber security awareness campaign using billboards like the one below will also run throughout the state as part of the Massachusetts Department of Transportation’s Public Service Announcement Program.
This morning, the MassIT Enterprise Security Office will hold a half-day event for all cyber security professionals called “Connect with Care: Cyber Security Awareness” in Gardner Auditorium at the State House. The event will feature remarks from Mike Leking, Department of Homeland Security; Bhavesh Chauhan, Global Security Specialist for Verizon; Kevin Burns, Commonwealth Chief Information Security Officer; and Christine R. Williams, Director of Economic and Workforce Development; Lead, Technology Talent Initiative Massachusetts Department of Higher Education.