Governor Martin O'Malley made the announcement at an event labeled the CyberMaryland Summit. He lobbied for the creation of a National Center of Excellence for Cybersecurity in Maryland, which would include an incubator, laboratories for cybersecurity testing, and education and training facilities. It would be able to share information about vulnerabilities in IT systems, and it would include a team dedicated to advising state leaders on legal issues relating to cybersecurity.
He outlined the state's existing efforts in technology as reasons for the positioning of Maryland as an "epicenter" for cybersecurity. "Our world-class facilities — NIST, NASA and soon-to-be DISA — combined with our vibrant and growing private sector and talented universities uniquely position Maryland to lead the way in cybersecurity," he said.
DISA (the Defense Information Systems Agency) is the technical implementation arm of the Department of Defense, and will be moving from Virginia to Fort Meade in 2011. It will bring around 4300 advanced technology jobs into Maryland, the report suggested.
The CyberMaryland report laid out a four-part structure for the further development of the state's cybersecurity presence: education, leadership, communication, and innovation. A science, technology, engineering and math 'pipeline' in the school system, combined with a workforce training program, will help bolster education, it said.
Leadership will be encouraged by coordinating cabinet resources, while tying its activities to the national agenda on cybersecurity. The National Center of Excellence will help to bolster innovation, while the communication effort will focus on increasing public awareness of security and expanding job growth.
Maryland is also home to the National Security Agency, which forms the backbone for the US cryptographic and signals monitoring operation.