U.S. Department of State Holds Cybersecurity Workshop

Office of the Spokesperson

On Monday, October 4, 2021, the U.S. State Department’s Chief Information Officer (CIO) Keith A. Jones opened a month-long workshop highlighting Cybersecurity Awareness Month, hosted by the Bureau of Information Resource Management (IRM).  The workshop brings together State Department experts in cybersecurity, cloud services, and communication technologies to lead timely internal discussions on protecting U.S. foreign affairs networks and sensitive foreign policy data from malicious cyber actors.

With more than 800 participants, this year’s workshop constitutes the largest annual gathering of U.S. diplomatic technologists.  It also represents broader efforts across the U.S. Government to advance cybersecurity and technology modernization, at the direction of President Biden’s Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s Cybersecurity.

CIO Jones’ opening remarks emphasized the importance of enabling a secure and innovative technological foundation for U.S. diplomacy to advance U.S. interests abroad and protect American prosperity from all cyber threats.