I was recently interviewed as part of a cyber security expert roundtable by The San Diego Transcript. Note that I have included the entire article below as viewing at the source requires a paid subscription.

Roundtable discussion
The Daily Transcript
Panel: San Diego could become cyber security leader

By ERIN BRIDGES
Monday, May 11, 2009

San Diego could become the primary hub for cyber security, according to participants of a recent Daily Transcript roundtable.

As cyber security becomes an ever-more important aspect in daily life, local companies could establish themselves and this region as the leaders.
Benito Hobson, corporate relations manager for Integrits Corp., said he thinks the military concentration in the San Diego area makes it a good option.
“You have the military industrial complex, which has spent a lot of time, effort and energy gearing up for the cyber war,” he said. “Years ago we were saying it’s the next frontier. It’s today’s frontier. I think the uniqueness of having that level of concentration right here in such a small and lovely geographic region really helps us.”
Four areas were named as possible leaders -- Boston; Silicon Valley; the Washington, D.C. area; and San Diego.

Roundtable participants discussed the current state of cyber security and the way cyber warfare is developing and changing. They agreed it is becoming an increasingly greater threat that must be thwarted at all levels.

Some participants speculated that with the San Diego defense industry’s efforts in the realm of cyber security and cyber warfare already established, it gives the region a competitive edge.
“San Diego has a very strong core in defense, far more than Silicon Valley, which you could argue is more technical,” said Eric Basu, president of Sentek Consulting. “We also have a strong basis in health care. So I think what we need to do is take a lot of what we’re doing in defense, become the best in that and become known as the area for cyber warfare, for defending defense contractors, and then we apply that to other areas like biotech and health care as well.
“I think if we focus on that, we can target some of the stimulus funds.”
There is money in cyber security and cyber warfare right now, making it an attractive area to do business. And if San Diego can become the center for all things cyber, it will bring that funding into the area and provide a boost to the economy.

Darin Andersen, chief operating officer of ESET, said he thinks cyber security is becoming a more commonly discussed issue on many levels from top government agencies down to the average technology user. And the more it affects individuals’ lives, the more support the industry will get.“I think, because it can have a lot of economic benefit and be something that helps San Diego come out of the current economic doldrums, there’s going to be a lot of economic interest -- people at the chamber and so forth that want to get involved in that,” Andersen said.

“We should be actively competing for that cyber security mind share throughout the world.”