Before returning to Washington for the next session of Congress, Sen. Kirsten Gllibrand (D-NY) made a stop yesterday in Utica to talk about cybersecurity.
Gillibrand came to Utica College to tour the Northeast Cyber Forensic Center. She said the region has long been fundamental to the nation’s national security.
"Utica and Rome nearby have been at the heart of our national defense, particularly in areas concerning cyber," Gillibrand explained. "So we almost have a corridor of expertise in this region which is very powerful."
Gillibrand also warned about the increasing threat of cyberterrorism in the world.
“It is a very intense and real threat," Gillibrand said. "Our government offices, each of their agencies are attacked every single day thousands of times. This is something that is prevalent, consistent and dangerous.”
The college houses a secure facility for cyber security research. Gillibrand stopped in on a class studying terrorism and economic crime.
"I hope some of you do decide to become policy makers," the senator said. "Some of you obviously will help a lot of companies stay safe and keep our companies and our data and our personal information safe."
Over the past decade there have been almost 4,000 security breaches, estimated to have cost American businesses more than $100 billion. Earlier this year Gillibrand introduced a bill to provide tax credits for businesses that invest in cybersecurity and information sharing.
Karita Rawlins reported this story as part of the New York Reporting Project at Utica College. You can read more of the project's storiesat their website, nyrp-uc.org.