Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced on August 15 an unprecedented initiative to launch the “LA Cyber Lab”—a public-private partnership that will freely share cyber threat intelligence with businesses in the city. Due to its Integrated Security Operations Center and analysis of one billion security-related events and over four million attempted intrusions into city networks per day, the lab will be able to alert small and medium-sized business partners to attacks as they occur. Large businesses, as well, will have the opportunity to receive automated updates to their individual cyber defense systems.
Building upon Mayor Garcetti’s second Executive Directive, which created a Cyber Intrusion Command Center for the city to coordinate cybersecurity preparation and response, the LA Cyber Lab will evolve over time into an informational exchange with private sector partners. The lab was designed in partnership with Cisco, and it is meant to help businesses protect their networks from hacking attempts that otherwise might not be caught by their defense programs.
“A cyber-attack can steal a down payment on a young couple’s first home,” Garcetti said. “A cyber-attack could release confidential hospital records to the public or hold a small company's data for ransom, crippling their business. ” As one of the first cities in the nation to share its cyber threat data, Los Angeles is hoping to protect its businesses and residents from unexpected attacks and threats.
“Cybersecurity is one of the defining issues of our time,” said John N. Stewart, Cisco Senior Vice President and Chief Security and Trust Officer. “Private businesses and public-sector organizations must collaborate closely to protect businesses’ interests, and help keep our citizens more secure online. We are honored to co-chair the Los Angeles Cyber Lab and join Mayor Garcetti and the City of Los Angeles in this unique and vital partnership. ”
The lab’s Integrated Security Operations Center is only the first phase of the rollout of the LA Cyber Lab. The second phase in early 2018 will involve free exchange of non-confidential and non-proprietary information across the public and private sectors. And finally, the city plans to launch an “Innovation Incubator” in Fall 2018, which will use a simulated computer network to test new cyber defense technologies, as well as provide opportunities for high school and university students to work in a security environment.
The LA Cyber Lab is directed by the LA Cyber Lab Advisory Board, which is comprised of numerous businesses in Los Angeles.
