Anyone who ever uses a computer gets hit now and then with e-mail spam or the occasional computer virus. Many are just minor hassles that try to derail our plans, but some do cause significant damage. Now imagine how often large companies and government agencies get hacked by those seeking to inflict harm. To address this, the state of Michigan is creating an all volunteer defense team, the Cyber Civilian Corps.Current State speaks with Dan Lohrmann, Michigan’s Chief Security Officer with the State Department of Technology, Management and Budget, and Raj Patel, an information technology consulting partner with the certified public accounting company Plante Moran. Lohrmann and Patel explain what the Cyber Civilian Corps is and what led to its creation.
Lohrmann says the idea is for the state to be able to respond to a cyber emergency, much like the work done by a volunteer fire department.