They came armed to talk about solutions for cybersecurity threats and found one of the biggest threats is actually the difficulty in filling the cybersecurity talent gap by finding the skilled people to protect us all. Governor Rick Snyder hosted the 6th Annual North American International Cyber Summit Monday in Detroit, and witnessed a record crowd of more than 900 people ready to discuss those ever-evasive solutions.
With cybersecurity at top of mind awareness for millions, the threats that impact everyone in this 21st century are very real. Governor Snyder told attendees yesterday, “Technology advances in the 21st century have improved the lives of people all over the world, but these advances also come with new security risks that must be addressed if we are going to remain safe in modern society.” He added, “The collaboration of public, private, military and education sectors is critical to develop the solutions that will allow technology innovators to continue to change the world, in a safe and secure environment.”
Demonstrating the skills needed to keep the country safe from cyber-attacks, students from Okemos High School were crowned champions of the Governor’s High School Cyber Challenge after defeating the 188 other teams that competed in the second-year event. The members of the winning team consisted of Arham Jain, Alex Ruan and Jainil Shah. The team from Cadillac High School took home the second-place trophy and a team from Airport High School in Carleton, Michigan finished third.
Dave DeVries is Chief Information Officer for the State of Michigan and Director of the Department of Technology, Management and Budget. DeVries told the crowd, “It is inspiring to see so many talented students excited in becoming the next generation of cyber defenders.” Nevertheless he pointed directly to the “Well-known gap in cybersecurity talent,” adding, “The Governor’s High School Cyber Challenge provides a fun environment to get students interested in the field at an early age. It is clear by the significant increase in participation this year that Michigan students are taking up the challenge of protecting the state and nation from future cyber disruptions.”
Gov. Snyder also announced a strategic initiative with Cisco aimed at accelerating Michigan’s digital transition. The State Digital Acceleration program is a 3-year targeted collaboration that will position Michigan as one of the most secure and digitally advanced states in the nation. The program is modeled on the success of Cisco’s Country Digital Acceleration (CDA) program, which, to date, has launched in 16 countries around the world.
Snyder told the summit players, “We’re continuing to build our talent and make Michigan the home for innovation, career opportunities and economic expansion.” He added, “This unique partnership with Cisco is an opportunity to collaborate on accelerating some of the great initiatives already in place, as well as championing new ideas and solutions that will further our commitment to being a digital leader in the nation.”
National and international experts joining Snyder at the summit included:
- General Joseph Lengyel, chief of the U.S. National Guard Bureau
- Rod J. Rosenstein, U.S. Deputy Attorney General
- Julie Porro, Chief Information Security Officer, Jet Blue
- David Cass, IBM Global Partner Cloud Security Services
- Rami Efrati, former head of the Israel Department of Cyber Bureau
- Warren Evans, Wayne County Executive
- …and numerous other information technology experts.
More information about Michigan’s cybersecurity efforts and helpful links on ways to protect yourself from cyber threats can be found by clicking this link:
