NAAG Announces Formation of Center on Cyber and Technology

Washington, D.C. — The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) has established the Center on Cyber and Technology.

The new Center is dedicated to developing programs and resources to support state attorneys general and their staffs in understanding technical aspects of emerging and evolving technologies, conducting cybercrime investigations and prosecutions, and ensuring secure and resilient public and private sector networks and infrastructure.  The Center will also serve as an information clearinghouse for the attorney general community on trending technology issues. Learn more about the Center and NAAG’s initiatives on technology.

Faisal Sheikh has been named the Center’s first director. He will be responsible for developing programming on cybersecurity, cybercrime, and new and emerging technologies, as well as forming strategic partnerships with other government agencies, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and private sector entities that focus on these issues.

“The most important job of an attorney general is to protect the public. NAAG’s expertise and resources help us do so in many ways, and the Center on Cyber and Technology will provide us new tools to keep our constituents safe,” said NAAG President and Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller.

“Today’s digital evolution has highlighted the need for a sustained approach to addressing cyber and technology issues,” said NAAG Executive Director Chris Toth. “The NAAG Center on Cyber and Technology will provide the support attorneys general and their staff need to understand and address technology-related issues that impact the health, safety, and security of their residents.”

Prior to being named the Center’s director, Sheikh served as program counsel for NAAG’s research arm, the National Attorneys General Training and Research Institute (NAGTRI). In this role he led NAAG’s efforts to increase programming in areas such as cybersecurity, cybercrime, and emerging technologies.

Before joining NAAG, Sheikh was the associate director of the National State Attorneys General Program at Columbia Law School and worked in the New York Attorney General’s Office. Sheikh received his J.D. from Fordham University School of Law and his B.A. in history from Trinity College.

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