Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
Secretary Janet Napolitano cuts the ribbon officially opening
the National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration
Center in Arlington, Va. October 30. Joining Secretary Napolitano
in the ceremony are (from left to right) Congressman David
Price (D-NC), Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Homeland
Security; Congressman Daniel E. Lungren (R-CA), Ranking member,
House Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, Science
and Technology; Congressman D.A. “Dutch” Ruppersberger
(D-MD), member, House Subcommittee on Homeland Security; Lieutenant
General Keith B. Alexander, Director of the National Security
Agency; Rand Beers, DHS Under Secretary for National Protection
and Programs; Gregory Schaffer, DHS Assistant Secretary for
Cybersecurity and Communications; and Phillip Reitinger, DHS
Deputy Under Secretary for National Protection and Programs.
(Photo by Steve Barrett, National Communications System).
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Arlington
VA, October 30, 2009 - Department
of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano today
opened the new National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration
Center (NCCIC) - a 24-hour, DHS-led coordinated watch and
warning center that will improve national efforts to address
threats and incidents affecting the nation’s critical
information technology and cyber infrastructure.
“Securing America’s cyber infrastructure
requires a coordinated and flexible system to detect threats
and communicate protective measures to our federal, state,
local, and private sector partners and the public,”
said Secretary Napolitano. “Consolidating our cyber
and communications operations centers within the NCCIC will
enhance our ability to effectively mitigate risks and respond
to threats.”
The new, state-of-the-art facility reflects
the shared priority of President Obama and Secretary Napolitano
to bolster information sharing and incident response in order
to protect and secure the nation’s cyber networks and
infrastructure.
The NCCIC provides an integrated incident response
facility to mitigate risks that could disrupt or degrade critical
information technology functions and services, while allowing
for flexibility in handling traditional voice and more modern
data networks.
The new unified operations center combines two
of DHS’ operational organizations: the U.S. Computer
Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT), which leads a public-private
partnership to protect and defend the nation’s cyber
infrastructure; and the National Coordinating Center for Telecommunications
(NCC), the operational arm of the National Communications
System.
In addition, the NCCIC will integrate the efforts
of the National Cybersecurity Center (NCSC), which coordinates
operations among the six largest federal cyber centers; the
DHS Office of Intelligence and Analysis and private sector
partners.
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