[July 16, 2014]

Cyber Security Expert to Recognize Senator Rockefeller for Cyber Security Leadership

Bill Conner, CEO and founder of FWC Consulting and former CEO of Entrust, Inc., will deliver remarks at the 51^st National Youth Science Camp Senate Luncheon to recognize the service of Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV, D-W.Va. for his service preparing the nation for the challenges of the new information age of cyber security and thank him for his support of youth science education. The event will take place in the Kennedy Caucus Room of the Russell Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C. Sen. Rockefeller is retiring from the Senate this year after more than 30 years of service to West Virginia and the United States.

The National Youth Science Camp (NYSC) is a month-long, governor's honors program in science, technology, engineering and mathematics in the eastern mountains of West Virginia. Delegates are selected through compeitions held across the United States and in eight other countries. Mr. Conner was a delegate to the NYSC in 1977 from Arkansas.

"Where Sen. Rockefeller's passion and leadership has been expressed is in the emerging threat related to cyber security," Mr. Conner said. "As Chairman of the Senate Committee on Commerce, he has illuminated problems, developed solutions, and kept the pressure on both the public and private sector to embrace their responsibilities to protect the economy, our national security, and individuals' privacy."

Mr. Conner said that Sen. Rockefeller recognizes that today's world is a connected global economy that allows technology to advance faster than ever before. "The benefits of this are obvious in that it is much easier to access and share information across boundaries," he continued. "But this same technology also creates risk. Sen. Rockefeller appreciates, better than most, that cybercrime and espionage pose one of the greatest threats to our security, and we need the appropriate policies to combat that threat. We need more talent in this field to address the policy issues, and technology tools and services to combat the growing number of attacks and risks that we now face."

Mr. Conner said that Sen. Rockefeller has introduced comprehensive and insightful legislative ideas vital for the nation to adopt, including initiatives that range from enhancing the security and resiliency of public and private networks against cyber attacks, to creating legal mechanisms for sharing cyber threat and vulnerability information between the government and the private sector, to promoting research and development instruments and professional training.

"In the cyber world, software tools change in days, not years, and sometimes in hours or minutes. This is a challenge that Sen. Rockefeller understands and embraced," Conner said.

Senator Rockefeller has hosted the Senate Luncheon for the past five years to recognize and encourage delegates to the National Youth Science Camp to use their skills to advance the peaceful application of science and technology.

Mr. Conner is sponsoring the Senate Luncheon to honor the 2014 delegates to NYSC and Senator Rockefeller, his "mentor and friend." Supporters of the NYSC include: the State of West Virginia, the United States Department of State, the Dow Chemical Company, Chesapeake Energy, the Daywood Foundation, The Jacobson Foundation, the Hamilton Family Foundation, Northrop Grumman (News - Alert), the H.B. Wehrle Foundation, the Herscher Foundation, the McJunkin Foundation and the Segal and Davis Foundation. The organization is also supported by individual contributions.

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