Rep. Torres holds seminar for local government leaders on cyber threat preparation

Rep. Norma J. Torres (D-CA) recently convened a seminar to help local government leaders prepare for potential cybersecurity threats in Ontario, California.

Federal officials from the Department of Homeland Security, the National Institute of Standards and Technology as well as private-sector professionals briefed leaders from local municipal governments and representatives from local law enforcement agencies on the latest cyber threats and how to prepare for them.

“We have seen over the past few years that cybercriminals are not only targeting large corporations and institutions but that our local governments and commerce are also under attack,” Torres said. “Today’s expert panel provided essential information and resources to local government officials and law enforcement on how to take steps to protect our critical information and address these threats.”

Presenters at the briefing included Deron McElroy, Chief of Operations-West at the Department of Homeland Security; Marian Merritt, Lead for Industry Engagement at the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Educations at the US Department of Commerce; and Salim Neino, CEO of Kryptos Logic, the Los Angeles cybersecurity company that identified the worldwide “WannaCry” ransomware.

“It was an honor to participate as a guest speaker in this very important Cybersecurity briefing hosted by Congresswoman Torres today,” Neino said. “I believe the only way we will be effective in protecting against emerging cybersecurity threats is if we work together – we need to increase awareness, improve collaboration, share meaningful intelligence, and work to bridge the divide that exists between the Cybersecurity community and government.”