Top minds meet in RI for Cybersecurity summit

By Matt Blanchette

mblanchette@abc6.com

@mattblanchette

Rhode Island is one of only four states in the country with a cyber security commission, one that is specifically to cyber crime.

The focus is to protect the state and its residents from online criminals.

"How big a threat is this right now? It's a huge threat," FBI cyber expert Mark Levett said.

Levett is a unit chief in counterintellegence for the FBI. He was one of many speakers at today's cyber security summit at the US Naval War College in Newport.

The summit comes a month after the formation of Rhode Island's own cyber security commission. "The threat may originate in another country or in another state but clearly things that happen in other places affect Rhode Island greatly," Scott Depasquale said. He heads up the commission and like Governor Raimondo believe the threats are real and immediate.

"We can't bury our heads in the sand. I am a big believer in this. We have problems they are here and they are growing," Raimondo said.

The purpose of today's summit is to develop strategies to fight cyber attacks and start building partnerships between huge private companies and the government to create a joint defense.

"This is actually beyond hacking. This is actually legitimate access. Stealing credentials and log on's and gaining a foothold in our critical infrastructure," Levett said.

He says countries like China and Russia have made cyber a priority and use legitimate business dealings to find their way into America's government and wallets.