LOC09:03
06:03 GMT
WASHINGTON, Oct 31 (KUNA) -- Secretary of the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) Janet Napolitano inaugurated late Friday the new National
Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC).
The NCCIC is a 24-hour, DHS-led coordinated watch and warning center which
will improve national efforts to address threats and incidents affecting the
nation's critical information technology and cyber infrastructure.
On this occasion, Napolitano said, "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."
She added, "Consolidating our cyber and communications operations centers
within the NCCIC will enhance our ability to effectively mitigate risks and
respond to threats."
"The NCCIC will help us move forward with integrating our existing cyber
and communications steady-state and incident-response mechanisms into a
unified operations center and watch floor," she affirmed.
She explained that this would be a "24/7/365 day-a-year facility to improve
our national efforts to prepare, respond to and recover from threats and
incidents affecting critical information technology and communications
infrastructure."
The top official stressed that the center "will serve as the central
repository for cyberthreat and incident reporting and provide improved
operational situational awareness across the federal government, particularly
across the civilian side of the federal government, as well as with the
private sector."
The new, state-of-the-art facility reflects the shared priority of US
President Barack Obama and Napolitano to bolster information sharing and
incident response in order to protect and secure the nation's cyber networks
and infrastructure.
Meanwhile, Director of National Intelligence Dennis Blair released earlier
today the fiscal year 2009 budget figure for the National Intelligence Program
(NIP).
The aggregate amount appropriated to the NIP reached USD 49.8 Billion,
which is a USD two billion increase compared to last year.
"Any and all subsidiary information concerning the National Intelligence
Program (NIP) budget will not be disclosed as such disclosures could harm
national security," a statement by the Office of the Director of the National
Intelligence indicated. (end)
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