The National Institute of Standards and Technology will establish a National Cybersecurity Center for Excellence, a public-private collaboration for accelerating integration of computer security solutions.
NIST will partner with the State of Maryland and Montgomery County, Md., in creating the center.
“We’re standing up for the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence to protect America’s ideas and innovations from cyber terrorists, spies and thieves,” Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski said on Tuesday. “This center will unite the knowledge of the government with the know-how of the private sector to improve our nation’s cybersecurity and create jobs. I was so proud to put money in the federal checkbook so this new center will ensure Maryland continues to lead the way in cyber technology and cyber jobs.”
NIST was given $10 million in appropriations to establish the partnership to operate the center. It will provide a state-of-the-art computing facility near NIST’s Gaithersburg, Md., campus, where researchers from NIST will work collaboratively with both users and vendors of cybersecurity products and services. The center will host multi-institutional, collaborative efforts that build on expertise from industry and government, the agency said.
“Maryland has made great strides in preparing a workforce that’s ready for cyber and IT jobs,” said Maryland Lt. Governor Anthony Brown. “With our focus on K-12 STEM education, cyber-security specialties in higher education, and the presence of U.S. Cyber Command at Ft. Meade, Maryland is uniquely poised to contribute to the rapidly growing cybersecurity industry. The addition of the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence will help build on our progress by enhancing coordination between the federal, state and local governments, as well as our partners in the private sector.”
