GFIRST

We’re taking a moment today to feature an important conference coming up at the end of the month. Yes, there are a lot of government conferences every year, and truthfully, we don’t spend a lot of time highlighting them. This blog wouldn’t be a blog anymore if we did; it would be a…well I don’t know, it would just be someplace where conferences are posted. The GFIRST National Conference, however, stands out as one we want to get on the radar for folks outside of the general government conference circuit.

GFIRST focuses on cybersecurity, and brings together dedicated professionals to participate in information-sharing groups, learn about the latest trends and preemptive measures, and listen to expert speakers discuss the latest in cybersecurity news. GFIRST organizers and speakers will use five pillars to communicate the conference’s message. They are:

• Threat
• Vulnerability
• Attack & Detection
• Mitigation
• Reflection

Click here to learn more about how these five pillars guide the discussion on cybersecurity. If you’re a cybersecurity professional, think about coming to the GFIRST conference – you can register onsite. The 5th Annual GFIRST National Conference takes place in Atlanta, Georgia this year from August 23rd-28th, and is hosted by US-CERT, the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team. US-CERT is a partnership between DHS and the public and private sectors, and charged with protecting the nation's Internet infrastructure by coordinating defense against and response to cyber attacks.

The conference will have nearly 100 sessions with six seminar tracks, based on the GFIRST5 pillars, plus one more: Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (CHIP). This is the third consecutive year that the GFIRST Conference will serve as a venue for the Justice Department’s CHIP to hold its Coordinators’ Conference.

Senior cybersecurity officials from DHS and the private sector will speak at the conference, including: Philip Reitinger, Deputy Undersecretary of the National Protection and Programs Directorate and Director of the National Cybersecurity Center, and Greg Schaffer, Assistant Secretary of the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications. Dave DeWalt, President and Chief Executive Officer of McAfee, Inc. will also address the conference.

For more information on the 5th Annual GFIRST National Conference, please visit: http://www.us-cert.gov/GFIRST.

A request for information (RFI) to support our cyber mission

In January 2009, DHS’ Cybersecurity & Communications shop hosted an Industry Day to open a dialogue between public and private sector technology providers. Today, as a follow-up to the Industry Day, DHS activated https://www.dhscyber.net for companies interested in responding to a request for information (RFI). The RFI is classified, but in general terms, it seeks information on prospective technical, end-to-end solutions that will help to protect the federal (.gov) cyber domain, and to facilitate cybersecurity improvements affecting the private sector. The effort will enable the Department to develop workable technology solutions while strengthening the relationship between the public and private sectors that is so critical to cybersecurity. Registration will remain open until July 22, 2009.

The Department is committed to increased collaboration between government and industry representatives. In May, President Obama noted in the first-ever Presidential address on cybersecurity:

“[i]t's the great irony of our Information Age -- the very technologies that empower us to create and to build also empower those who would disrupt and destroy. And this paradox -- seen and unseen -- is something that we experience every day.”

At Industry Day, DHS highlighted the need for private industry to become more involved in developing comprehensive, game-changing, innovative solutions that improve and expand upon our current capabilities to protect, detect, and respond to cyber incidents. The recent denial of service (DoS) incident only underscores that point. Our RFI is the next step in reaching out to stakeholders to assist us in advancing our capability to secure the nation’s critical cyber infrastructure and address future cyber challenges. For more information, we encourage you to visit FedBizOpps or email CIVendorInfo@dhs.gov.

Secretary Sits Down with Reporters

Secretary Napolitano sat down with some reporters and bloggers yesterday to answer questions and talk about her upcoming overseas travel and priorities for the summer. Reporters were free to ask questions on any topic – and so, the Secretary discussed counterterrorism, cybersecurity, PASS ID, and a number of other issues. We put the highlights together in the video below for your viewing pleasure. Check it out.

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Click here for a transcript of the Secretary's remarks.

dhs.gov Spotlight: Career Opportunities

Interested in a career at the Department of Homeland Security? We're always updating career postings on dhs.gov. Check out the most recent opportunities from our Office of Cybersecurity and Communications here, and visit our careers page for openings from around the Department.

Secretary Napolitano Speaks about an Emerged Threat

Last night, Secretary Napolitano spoke at the World Affairs Council Global Education Dinner on an issue that affects all of us: Cybersecurity. It touches every level of government and every part of our daily lives. From our nation's power supply to personal records to bank accounts, it's our responsibility to keep these systems safe. The Secretary spoke at length last night on the topic, and just finished some thoughts on the issue for you to read. Check those out over at the Leadership Journal.