ANNAPOLIS, MD—Governor Larry Hogan on Thursday announced that the State of Maryland and the NSA have formed a new cybersecurity fellowship to share best practices and expertise. Fulfilling a commitment made earlier this year at the Annapolis Cybersecurity Summit, the NSA Department of Information Technology Fellow will advise the state on enterprise data practice, policies, standards, and security.

NSA senior data analyst, Jason S. Jabers, will collaborate with the Governor’s Office, the Chief Information Officer, and other key government, academic, and private sector organizations on a comprehensive data architecture plan for the state.

“We are proud to have cutting edge cybersecurity experts, including those from the NSA, in Maryland to further our mission of keeping residents secure from cyber vulnerabilities,” said Governor Hogan. “These organizations, as well as our many private sector companies, universities and colleges throughout the region, continue to bolster Maryland’s role as the cyber capital of America.”

In addition to this new fellowship with the NSA, Governor Hogan announced a number of cybersecurity policies at this year’s summit, including:

• An executive order creating a strong privacy framework for state agencies to properly collect, use, retain, and disclose personally identifiable information, including a new State Chief Privacy Officer.
• An executive order creating a State Chief Data Officer, who is charged with supervising data use and management and facilitating inter-agency data sharing.
• An executive order formally establishing the MD THINK Committee to govern the way state agencies share and utilize data.
• A memorandum of understanding with the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) to establish a new Maryland Institute for Innovative Computing.

“This fellowship with the NSA is another step the Hogan administration has taken to protect and defend Marylanders and their data from cyber threats,” said Secretary of Information Technology Michael Leahy. “I look forward to working with Mr. Jabers whose exceptional qualifications and dedication to his work will be a tremendous asset to the people of Maryland.”

“The State of Maryland and National Security Agency have a long history of support and cooperation,” said NSA Deputy Director George C. Barnes. “This talent-sharing agreement is yet another step in NSA’s commitment to work with key partners to better the cybersecurity posture of our nation.”

With 17 years of service with the NSA, in addition to several years of county and state-level government service, Jabers has a background in leadership, law/policy, counterintelligence, and counterterrorism. This experience enables him to effectively communicate, negotiate, and understand critical policy issues, as well as understand the viewpoints of critical partners, including the Maryland state government.

Governor Hogan has proclaimed October as Cybersecurity Awareness Month in Maryland.

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