National Cybersecurity Center

National Cybersecurity Center
Agency overview
Formed March 2008 (2008-03)
Headquarters Colorado Springs, Colorado
United States
Website nationalcybersecuritycenter.org

The National Cybersecurity Center (NCC) is an office within the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) created in March 2008, and is based on the requirements of National Security Presidential Directive 54/Homeland Security Presidential Directive 23 (NSPD-54/HSPD-23), reporting directly to the DHS Secretary.[1][2] The NCC is tasked with protecting the U.S. Government’s communications networks. The Center monitors, collects and shares information on systems belonging to NSA, FBI, DoD, and DHS.

The first Director appointed to head the Center was Rod Beckstrom, an entrepreneur and co-author of The Starfish and the Spider. On March 5, 2009, Beckstrom tendered his resignation as the Director of National Cybersecurity Center.[3] According to the Washington Post, Beckstrom resigned, "...due to a lack of resources and because there were efforts underway to fold his group – as well as the division Reitinger is joining – into a facility at the NSA." On March 11, 2009, Phil Reitinger, then at Microsoft, was appointed to the position.[4]

On October 30, 2009, DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano opened the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC). The NCCIC combined two DHS organizations: the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) and the National Coordinating Center for Telecommunications (NCC). It also integrates the efforts of the National Cybersecurity Center (NCC), the DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis (I&A), and private-sector partners of DHS.

CEO

On October 10th, 2016, Ed Rios was appointed CEO of the NCC. Board members unanimously selected Rios from 13 applicants. Rios is founder, CEO and president of CyberSpace Operations Consulting Inc., a 9-year-old company that specializes in moving new technical innovations into national security operations for cyber, intelligence and space programs in government and the private sector through 20 consultants, including 17 retired generals.

A retired Air Force colonel, Rios spent 26 years in special technical, space and intelligence operations, special mission sea duty and flight operations with three deployments. [5] Rios received a master's degree in business administration, completed graduate work at Harvard and Washington universities and had a fellowship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. [5]

Mission

The NCC has not officially published its mission; however, the Center’s priority is to protect the US Government’s computer and communication systems from domestic and foreign threats. The federal government has designated this as a National Security Priority, one of its highest national priorities.

US President's Cyber Security Policy Review

In June 2009 the White House published a Cyber Security Policy Review, however the NCC was not explicitly mentioned in that document.

National Program Office

In coordination with the United States Department of Commerce, the White House cybersecurity office announced on January 7, 2011 that it will create an office within the commerce department that is devoted to helping the development of technologies or platforms that will eventually allow sensitive online transactions to be carried out with greater levels of trust. The new office is called the National Program Office and its primary duty is to coordinate the federal activities necessary to carry out the National Strategy for Trusted Identities in Cyberspace (NSTIC), a White House initiative dedicated to making the Internet a more secure environment for consumers.[6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "The Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative". US Government. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  2. ↑ "Statement by Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff on the Appointment of the Director of the National Cyber Security Center".
  3. ↑ "Director of Federal Cybersecurity resigns over NSA dominance". Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  4. ↑ "Microsoft Executive Tapped For Top DHS Cyber Post". The Washington Post. Retrieved 6 January 2011.
  5. 1 2 http://gazette.com/new-ceo-named-for-cybersecurity-center-in-colorado-springs/article/1587478
  6. ↑ PC Mag. New Govt Office to Help Create 'Trusted Digital Identities'
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