Microsoft, Intel Among Companies to Sign Cyber Security Pact in Rockville

Microsoft and Intel were among the 11 technology companies to sign a partnership agreement Monday with the Rockville-based National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, The Gazette reports.

The National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence is a private-public partnership that works with professionals in tech industry, academia and government to address business cyber security concerns, according to the center’s website, CyberMaryland.org.

The center was formed about a year ago by the federal National Institute of Standards and Technology, Montgomery County and the state of Maryland, according to The Gazette.

At a ceremony Monday, representatives from the new partnership companies—Cisco Systems Inc., Hewlett-Packard, HyTrust Inc., Intel Corp., McAfee Inc., Microsoft Federal Civilian Services, RSA, Splunk Inc., Symantec Corp., Vanguard Integrity Professionals and Venafi Inc.—pledged to contribute hardware and software components and share best practices and personnel with the center, according to the cyber security center.

Local leaders in attendance included Maryland Gov. Martin O'Malley, Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett and U.S. Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD). Mikulski reportedly told The Gazette that NIST was picked to lead the federal portion of the partnership due to its strong ties with businesses.

The center is temporarily headquartered at the University at Shady Grove campus in Rockville but hopes to a seek permanent space in Montgomery County, an NIST spokeswoman told the newspaper.

The Gazette’s account is posted online at Gazette.net.

The cyber security center is part of the governor's broader plan to make Maryland the “nation’s epicenter for cyber security,” a plan that O’Malley unveiled in 2010.

According to office of Maryland Lt. Governor Anthony Brown, a $10 million appropriation from the federal government helped establish the center in 2012.