At the first official meeting for his 2016-17 National Governors Association chair’s initiative, Meet the Threat: States Confront the Cyber Challenge, Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe addressed the intersection of cybersecurity and health care.
The roundtable discussion, held at the INOVA Center for Personalized Health on Tuesday, brought together health care CEOs to focus on cybersecurity and the health care sector. The goal was to begin a conversation to identify challenges and opportunities related to both sectors, including data breaches and the Internet of Things.
“Cybersecurity is an issue that threatens all industries, health care in particular. With the health care industry converting to electronic records and digital devices, we have to look for new methods to protect the privacy and safety of patients.” Gov. McAuliffe stated.
Meet the Threat places states at the center of finding solutions to the increasingly sophisticated cyber threats facing the nation. The initiative’s primary goal is for states to develop strategies for strengthening cybersecurity practices as they relate to state IT networks, health care, education, public safety, energy, transportation, critical infrastructure, economic development and the workforce.
In 2015, Gov. McAuliffe created the Virginia Cyber Security Commission for public and private industry leaders to work with the administration to identify ways to bolster Virginia’s cyber industry. Gov. McAuliffe has worked to position Virginia as an international leader in cyber with 650 cybersecurity companies calling Virginia home and the number of cybersecurity jobs to increase by 25 percent by 2022. Virginia has been active in combating ongoing cyber threats, making it a top priority for the governor and his administration.
Gov. McAuliffe officially became NGA chair at the closing session of the NGA Summer Meeting in Des Moines, Iowa, on Saturday.
As chair, he will raise awareness of how governors can improve cybersecurity and protect their states from continued threats. The initiative will conclude in Virginia with the National Summit on State Cybersecurity, which will bring together representatives from each state, commonwealth and territory to share best practices and lessons learned.
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