The report, titled "CyberMaryland," cites Maryland's higher education, R&D, technology workforce, and base of businesses and government agencies as reasons it's well suited to play a central role in cybersecurity.
I applaud Maryland's proactive approach and suggest that San Diego become part of this dialog. Instead of competing with Maryland, I suggest that we reach out and Partner with the state to support their efforts while bolstering our own prospects as a West Coast beacon on cybersecurity. In combating the problem of cyber security, many cities and states must emerge as leaders of cyber and Maryland and San Diego have first mover advantages.
San Diego is well suited to lead cyber from the West Coast, nationally and even internationally due to it's unique characteristics as a community. Collaborative law enforcement, military presence, world class universities focusing on cyber, a border with Mexico and many other factors favor San Diego as a center of cyber excellence.
Governor O'Malley says that "Maryland is poised to lead the nation's war on cyber crime," O'Malley serves co-lead on homeland security for the National Governors' Association Public Safety Task Force and on the U.S. Homeland Security Advisory Council. Included in the Maryland report is a proposal to establish, via federal funding and a public-private partnership, a National Center of Excellence for Cybersecurity in the Maryland. Potential components will include a "new technology incubator, testing labs, education, and training." The report also recommends aligning Maryland's cybersecurity initiatives with those of the Obama Administration and developing the state's "brand" as a cybersecurity epicenter. Maryland does have several advantages in this pursuit. The state is home to more than 50 federal facilities and a dozen military installations. Several government agencies involved in cybersecurity are headquartered in Maryland or have facilities there, including the National Security Agency, Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity, and National Institute of Standards and Technology. The DOD's Defense Information Systems Agency plans to relocate to Fort Meade in Maryland next year. Defense Secretary Robert Gates issued an order last June to establish the U.S. Cyber Command, with a purpose of centralizing the U.S. military's cybersecurity operations. At the time, Gates indicated that Maryland was a preferred location. While Maryland is well positioned on the East Coast, San Diego is well positioned to serve the needs of the West Coast. We also have a cluster of IT related technologies but our real strength comes in the form of collaboration. In helping the organize San Diego around cyber as part of the ESET's Securing Our eCity "Model City" project www.securingourecity.org, I have seen stakeholders from government, private and non-profit, education, military step up to support San Diego's need to organize around cyber.
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