Government Leaders Stress IT Industry's Role In Cybersecurity

By Ally Kutz, contributing writer

The longevity of effective cybersecurity is dependent on the commercial sector, according to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Donna Dodson, leader of the NIST’s National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, told Nextgov that “while cybersecurity guidance originates within the federal government, the market must independently promote the technology for it to last.”

This is not the first time an expert has suggested the necessity of public-private collaboration when it comes to cybersecurity. NextGov also reports Department of Homeland Security’s cybersecurity and communications office’s chief officer, Peter Fonash, said businesses need to be able to exchange up-to-the-minute threat information with the government. One way of achieving this could be through an automated system, but the government and security professionals would have to agree on a standard way to share information as well as develop a strong authentication system.

Dodson and her team are working to move some projects to the private sector, including the Identity Management Ecosystem Steering Group, which combats fraudulent online identities. It serves as a forum where members can discuss ways of verifying online credentials and transactions.

She added however, it’s necessary to keep working on the cooperative effort between the public and private sector. She told Nextgov, business need to know “there’s the good and right thing to do in cybersecurity, and here's how those capabilities work in the real world.”