SCHUMER ANNOUNCES, AFTER HIS PUSH, ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY HAS SECURED INVITE TO PRESTIGIOUS WHITE HOUSE SUMMIT ON CYBERSECURITY & CONSUMER PROTECTION – SCHUMER SAYS RIT, AS A NATIONAL LEADER IN FIELD, WILL CONTRIBUTE TO NATIONWIDE EFFORT TO IMPROVE TECHNOLOGIES THAT PROTECT CONSUMERS

Schumer Says RIT Has Proven Expertise in Cybersecurity Field & Was Named ‘National Center of Excellence in Information Assurance and Cyber Defense Education’ Through the Year 2021 –RIT is a Leader in Preparing Future Professionals to Meet Challenges of Industry & Will Now Be Able to Contribute to National Summit

 

Dr. Andrew Sears, Dean of College of Computing & Information Sciences, Will Represent RIT at This Year’s Summit

Today, U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that, following his push, the White House has invited a representative from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) to attend the Administration’s Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection, which will be held at Stanford University on February 13^th. Dr. Andrew Sears, Dean of the Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences, will represent RIT at the national summit. Schumer explained that the purpose of the summit is to bring together public and private sector experts to develop ways to better protect American companies from the cyber security threats of today and better safeguard consumer financial protection in a time when data breaches and company-wide computer hacks are increasingly more common. In January, Schumer pushed the White House to include a representative from RIT at this conference, as RIT has been a leader in the cybersecurity field for years. Schumer said being included in the summit would enable RIT to contribute its expertise to this growing, nationwide effort aimed at developing and improving the kinds of technologies that will better protect American companies and consumers. Schumer said that RIT has been designated as a National Center of Excellence in Information Assurance and Cyber Defense Education through the year 2021 and has proven to be a crucial piece of the puzzle in ensuring both Upstate New York and the U.S. have professionals with the skills and training needed to protect our nation’s critical information infrastructure.

“Being invited to attend the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection is proof positive that RIT is a national leader in cybersecurity and consumer protection,” said Schumer. “I pushed for RIT to be included in this summit because I have seen first-hand the excellent work the university does and the potential it has to shape the conversation. I am confident Dr. Sears will be able to demonstrate on a national stage that universities like RIT are a crucial piece to the puzzle when it comes to ensuring we have professionals with the knowledge and ability to protect our nation’s critical information infrastructure for generations to come.”

“We greatly appreciate Senator Schumer’s efforts that led to RIT being invited to attend the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection,” said Andrew Sears, dean of RIT’s B. Thomas Golisano College of Computing and Information Sciences. “RIT has significant expertise in this arena, particularly in the area of computing security education, and our graduates are working all over the world in this field. We look forward to being part of the conversation with national leaders and helping devise solutions to this growing problem.”

During his push in January, Schumer explained that this cybersecurity summit is a part of President Obama’s BuySecure Initiative, which was launched in November 2014. This initiative is aimed at developing and advancing the kinds of technologies that will lead to greater consumer financial protection and increased cyber defense networks. Schumer said that, by holding this summit, the Administration will bring together major stakeholders, both public and private, to work together in developing cybersecurity practices and technologies that will increase cybersecurity as well as consumer protection across diverse industries, particularly computer security companies and the retail industry. Schumer said RIT was uniquely positioned to contribute to this summit as a leader in the field for many years and has been designated as a National Center of Excellence in Information Assurance and Cyber Defense Education through the year 2021.

 

A copy of Senator Schumer’s initial letter to Director of the United States National Economic Council, the organizer of the summit, appears below:

 

Dear Director Jeffrey D. Zients,

 

I write to ask that you include a representative from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) at the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection on February 13, 2015. Universities like RIT are a crucial piece of the puzzle in ensuring we have professionals with the right knowledge and skill to protect our nation’s critical information infrastructure. RIT has proven to be a leader in preparing students to meet the growing challenges in the field of cybersecurity and would it would be a key voice at the White House Summit.

 

RIT is a National Center of Excellence in Information Assurance and Cyber Defense Education through the year 2021 and was originally designated in 2006 by the National Security Agency (NSA). Since this initial designation RIT computing security students have received the DHS Information Assurance scholarship including a student awarded a White House Champion for Change.  RIT also recently received a National Science Foundation award under their CyberCorps Scholarship for Service Program and has hosted numerous National Institutes of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Cybersecurity events. After taking home first place in 2013 and second in the 2014 National Cybersecurity Competition it is obvious they are committed to providing a growing pipeline of professionals with expertise in this field.

 

Again, I welcome the opportunity for RIT to be represented at the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection. It is critical as we look to find ways to improve cybersecurity practices and secure technologies that we have a generation of new professionals with the tools needed to protect us and universities like RIT will play a major role in making this happen. Thank you for your consideration.

 

Sincerely,

 

Charles E. Schumer

United States Senator

 

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