Last week, the Governor of Rhode Island signed an executive order creating a cybersecurity commission, which will “make recommendations helping the state prepare to recover from cyberattacks and hire enough of the right people.”
According to the order, the commission will be made up of representatives from state agencies and other public-sector entities, research institutions, and the private sector in the defense, financial services, IT and energy sectors.
Scott DePasquale, chairman and CEO of Utilidata, will be the first chairman of the commission, which already has two reports due. The first is an action plan on how to protect the state’s vital infrastructure and how to better prepare government agencies and firms to recover from a cyberattack. This report is due October 1.
The second report will be geared towards ways that the government can facilitate the growth of a skilled cybersecurity workforce and business sector in the state. That report is due December 1.