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At the October 26 meeting of the Maryland Cybersecurity Council, Greg Fowler, president of University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), presented Attorney General Brian Frosh with the institution’s highest award, the ��������President’s Medal. Frosh, who will be retiring as chair of the Council in January 2023, was honored for his leadership on cybersecurity-related policy issues and for his service to the state of Maryland.

In his remarks, Fowler noted that the University has the honor of staffing the Council, an effort led by Gregory Von Lehmen, special assistant to the president for cybersecurity at UMGC. “In 2015, the Maryland Cybersecurity Council was only a name in a statute,” said Fowler. “Now it functions as an organic and productive ecosystem, one that incubates and informs recommendations that serve to protect citizens and strengthen cybersecurity across our state.”

Fowler commended Frosh’s leadership in publicly advocating for stronger cybersecurity in State and local government, including increased funding; consumer rights with respect to commercial collection of personal data, the expansion of the State’s breach notification laws, and giving generously of his time to support educational outreach initiatives in cybersecurity, among other activities.

 During his remarks, Frosh emphasized the role of local government in defending the nation against cyber threats. “We stand at the cusp of the most rapid advances in technology, science and communication,” he said. “State and local governments must be partners of the federal government in a layered defense of the nation.”

In closing, Frosh also laid out the three priorities for the Council moving forward.

First is to establish a world-class cyber workforce. He said that the State should invest in a center for federal partners, private employers and schools to address the shortage of cybersecurity talent. “With an economic output of more than $450 billion, Maryland has the capacity to undertake this mission,” he said.

Second, Maryland must seek public and private cooperation. New State and local government cybersecurity laws are designed specifically to facilitate deep civic preparedness. “Participation by critical infrastructure providers such as hospitals and utilities will help create the multi-sector muscle memory needed to respond to cyberattacks,” he said.

Finally, Frosh said that we need changes in the law to mitigate risk. “Maryland can lead the way by developing a strategy to disaggregate energy reliance. If the grid goes down for a sustained period, but our homes have electricity and we can pump gas and get groceries, then we’re resilient,” he said. Switching over to a sustainable energy source and building microgrids centered on sustainable energy could be offset through tax credits and other incentives.”

Historically, ��������has played a key role in the continuing effort to help keep Marylanders safe, through educating the next generation of cybersecurity professionals, its own community involvement and commending those who do their part to protect the state and its residents.

In keeping with this tradition, Douglas Harrison, dean of the School of Cybersecurity and Information Technology at UMGC, has just joined the board of directors of the Cybersecurity Association of Maryland (CAMI), where he will play an instrumental role in providing strategic oversight and support of CAMI’s mission to provide cross-sector partnerships and alliances in the region to strengthen cybersecurity.