The program currently being developed will include panels featuring payments industry cyber experts and government cybersecurity stakeholders from the federal, state, and local level. The goal of this inaugural meeting is to convince the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop an ongoing platform whereby similar meetings can be held bi-annually in Transaction Alley in the future. Ultimately, the goal here is one of National Security with an eye towards improving the resiliency of Transaction Alley’s portion of the consumer financial grid leading up to and following a cyber-attack. These forums will provide a unique opportunity for industry and government cybersecurity experts to build critical relationships, educate, share information and to evaluate and collaborate on resiliency efforts.
The ATPC has been pushing hard to get this initial Cyber Forum in place for more than a year now. Last year’s cyber roundtable meeting in Atlanta, which included experts from the FBI, DHS, Georgia Technology Authority, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, City of Atlanta, and ATPC member companies was a critical precursor to the upcoming grand forum. That meeting was the direct result of a visit to DHS’s National Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Center (NCCIC) in Arlington, Virginia during a November 2015 Capitol Hill fly-in.
ATPC Executive Director H. West Richards also recently met with Klint Walker, the new DHS Cyber Security Advisor for Region IV based in Atlanta. While this is a new role for the expanding DHS cyber group, Klint has extensive experience on the subject and looks forward to plugging into both the Cyber Forum and ATPC’s new Cyber Working Group. Finally, Klint and the Cyber Security Advisor team indicated that they are ready to partner with Transaction Alley companies whom would like to take part in their cyber assessment exercise. Please email West Richards for further details.