Through a new cybersecurity fellowship announced last week by the State of Maryland and the National Security Agency (NSA), the partners intend to pursue best data practices, policies, standards, and security.
As part of this arrangement, NSA senior data analyst Jason Jabers joined Gov. Larry Hogan’s administration to discuss and construct a statewide data architecture plan. The NSA Department of Information Technology and Jabers will collaborate with the governor, Maryland’s Chief Information Officer, and other government, academic and private sector organizations deemed critical for developing such a plan.
Jabers is a 17 year veteran of the NSA, who also brings to the assignment several years of experience in county and state-level government services. He has trained in leadership, law, policy, counterintelligence, and counterterrorism.
“We are proud to have cutting-edge cybersecurity experts, including those from the NSA, in Maryland to further our mission of keeping residents secure from cyber vulnerabilities,” Hogan said. “These organizations, as well as our many private sector companies, universities, and colleges throughout the region, continue to bolster Maryland’s role as the cyber capital of America.”
The move, announced in what Hogan earlier declared Cybersecurity Awareness Month for Maryland, builds on several other cybersecurity policies he dedicated himself to at the Annapolis Cybersecurity Summit in July. These policies include three executive orders: one for a strong privacy framework among state agencies to guide collection, use, retention, and disclosing of personally identifiable information; another to create a State Chief Data Officer governing data use, management, and inter-agency data sharing; and a third to create the MD THINK Committee for governing state agencies’ sharing and utilization of data.
A memorandum of understanding has also been signed between the state and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, which will create a new Maryland Institute for Innovative Computing.
“The State of Maryland and National Security Agency have a long history of support and cooperation,” George Barnes, NSA Deputy Director, said. “This talent-sharing agreement is yet another step in NSA’s commitment to work with key partners to better the cybersecurity posture of our nation.”