On February 2, Dennis Blair, the new Director of National Intelligence, gave testimony alongside the heads of the CIA, FBI and Defense Intelligence Agency, to warn Congress that malicious cyberactivity is occurring on an unprecedented scale with extraordinary sophistication. With the ever-present threat of an attack on telecommunications and other networks, the U.S. government – and nations around the globe – must increase focus on cybersecurity and take certain action to ensure the safety and security of each nation’s infrastructure and its way of life.

The responsibility to protect a nation frequently requires private sector companies to do their part, and we at Cisco know this very well. I’m pleased to announce that Melissa Hathaway will serve as a senior security adviser for Cisco. Melissa is the former acting Senior Director for Cyberspace within the National Security Council for President Barack Obama’s administration. She is currently working in association with Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs as a senior adviser to its cyber security initiative, Project Minerva, a joint effort between the Department of Defense, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and Harvard University. Melissa brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Cisco from her years of work in cybersecurity.

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