By Byron V. Acohido
Michigan is known as the Wolverine State in deference to the ornery quadruped that roams its wild country.
However, after a recent visit to Detroit, Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids as a guest of the Michigan Economic Development Corp., or MEDC, I’m prepared to rechristen Michigan the Cybersecurity Best Practices State.
Related: Michigan moves to close the cybersecurity skills gap.
This new nickname may not roll off the tongue. But it does fit like a glove. (Michigan’s other nickname, by the way, is the Mitten State, referring to the shape of the larger of its two main peninsulas.)
Cobo CenterI was recently privileged to be part of a group of journalists covering the 2018 North American International Cyber Summit at Detroit’s Cobo Convention Center. My reporting trip included meetings with Michigan-based cybersecurity vendors pursuing leading-edge innovations, as well as a tour of a number of thriving public-private cybersecurity incubator and training programs.
It was the latter that jumped out at me. In an age when cybersecurity intelligence sharing and collaboration is in dire need — but all too short supply — Michigan has quietly and methodically, stood up some well-thought-out programs that could – if not should – be a model for other states to follow.
I had the chance to meet briefly with two-term Gov. Rick Snyder, who is about to leave office and can point to significant strides Michigan has made ‘reinventing’ its economy under his watch. What’s noteworthy, from my perspective, is that Snyder had the foresight to make cybersecurity readiness a key component of his reinvent Michigan strategy, from day one.
Getting proactive
Snyder says his experience as head of Gateway Computers and as an investor in tech security startups, prior to entering politics, gave him an awareness of why putting Michigan ahead of the curve, dealing with cyber threats, would be vital. …more
