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For immediate release: July 21, 2005
Contact: Beth Roszman

NASCIO President Jarrett Offers Cybersecurity Testimony to Senate Subcommittee

(LEXINGTON, KY) - On June 19, Tom Jarrett, NASCIO president and CIO for the state of Delaware, testified on the topic of cybersecurity during a hearing of the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs' Subcommittee on Federal Financial Management, Government Information, and International Security.

Jarrett's testimony focused on the challenges in protecting our nation's critical infrastructures from cybersecurity threats. In particular, he highlighted the threats that states face on a daily basis and noted that, "cyberspace is the only part of the nation's critical infrastructure that is under attack everywhere, all of the time."

In addition, Jarrett told the members of the subcommittee that, "threats to cybersecurity will only increase and we will face continual attacks and attempts on multiple fronts. State IT officials must continually adjust how and what gets filtered, blocked or monitored. New threats appear almost daily and they can, in a matter of seconds, render services we've all come to depend upon like email and web browsing, completely unusable. In the worst case scenario, without proper protection and due diligence, an attack could potentially cripple or completely shut down an entire state government."

Addressing deficiencies in public-sector cybersecurity is the number one item on NASCIO's federal agenda. Jarrett informed the subcommittee that the Department of Homeland Security has not included cybersecurity in its existing homeland security planning and preparedness for the states. He encouraged the subcommittee to help NASCIO to close this strategic gap.

The hearing entitled "Securing Cyberspace: Efforts to Protect National Information Infrastructures Continue to Face Challenges" also included testimony from David Powner, Director of IT Management , U.S. Government Accountability Office; Andy Purdy, Acting Director, National Cyber Security Division, Department of Homeland Security; and Paul Skare, Product Manager, Marketing, Siemens Power Transmission & Distribution.

Jarrett's testimony is available online at http://hsgac.senate.gov/_files/071905Jarrett.pdf.

NASCIO represents state chief information officers and information resource executives and managers from the 50 states, six U.S. territories, and the District of Columbia. State members are senior officials from any of the three branches of state government who have executive-level and statewide responsibility for information resource management. Representatives from federal, municipal, and international governments and state officials who are involved in information resource management but do not have chief responsibility for that function participate in the organization as associate members. Private-sector firms and non-profit organizations may join as corporate members.

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For more information contact NASCIO Programs and Communications Coordinator Beth Roszman at (859) 514-9167 or nascio@amrms.com.

AMR Management Services provides NASCIO's executive staff. For more information about AMR visit http://www.amrms.com.