Governor Doug Ducey on Monday established the state’s new Cyber Command Center at a ceremony at the Department of Public Safety’s Arizona Counter Terrorism Information Center (ACTIC) in Phoenix.
The new cyber center will serve as Arizona’s main headquarters for managing statewide cybersecurity operations for officials at each level of government.
“Cybersecurity is homeland security. Our society is becoming increasingly interconnected through technology, and cybersecurity has become one of the most important issues facing Arizona,” said Ducey. “This new command center will be critical in protecting Arizonans and ensuring our cyber infrastructure remains safe and secure. I’m hopeful that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will recognize the success of these partnerships on cybersecurity and begin to treat border security just as seriously.”
According to Ducey’s office, the Arizona Department of Homeland Security detected approximately 68 million cyber threats and protected state websites from more than 800,000 potential attacks.
Ducey issued an executive order in 2018 that initiated the formation of the group, allowing four of the state’s public safety agencies to work together closely. In the future, the group may work with individuals in the private sector to better enhance security.
“The creation of the Arizona Cybersecurity Team is another step we can take to enhance our cyber preparedness. In today’s world, the threat of cyber attacks is persistent and constantly evolving, which is why we are taking proactive steps to mitigate that threat and making sure agencies continually improve their cyber defenses,” said Governor Ducey at the time. “The security of our information systems is a top priority and we need to work together as one team throughout government and the private sector to strengthen collaboration and risk management efforts.”
In recent years and over the course of the coronavirus pandemic, cyber attacks have surged.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Doug Ducey” by Gage Skidmore CC BY-SA 3.0.
