New Md. Facility Will Help Strengthen Country's Cybersecurity
FORT MEADE, Md. (WJZ)-- A new facility in Maryland will focus on strategizing our defense against critical threats.
The First Air National Guard facility at Fort Meade will be designed to protect the nation's cyber infrastructure.
Governor Larry Hogan joined military leaders to break ground for the 175th Cyberspace Operations Squadron facility.
"We are bolstering Maryland's leadership even further as we break ground on this much needed and much anticipated facility to support the state of Maryland and the cyber mission force," Gov. Hogan said.
The 9,000 square foot facility at Fort Meade will be utilized by the country's top cyber operators to defend our nations networks and highly classified information.
"This is more than just a building, this is about taking us to the future we are going to be the thought leaders partnered alongside the most professional thought leaders which is cyber com," said Major General Linda Singh, adjutant general of Maryland.
Major General Singh told WJZ the facility represents a great partnership at the national and state level to solve the big challenges that lay ahead.
"We have to start looking at not only how do we prepare and protect our infrastructure but how do we get prepared to insure we are not as vulnerable and we can only do that with facilities like this and people working these types of jobs," she said.
"No state is better equipped or better positioned than Maryland to address the rapidly emerging and evolving cyber security challenges facing our nation and world," Gov. Hogan said.
The building should be completed by September of 2018, and is reportedly the first of many to come.
The facility will be built by the Maryland-based Ritz Construction Company.
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