The Vermont State Police announced that Ryan McLiverty, a cyber analyst at the Vermont Intelligence Center in Williston, has received a national award for his work in cybersecurity.
The National Network of Fusion Centers honored McLiverty with a citation for Excellence in the Field of Cyber Protection at its annual conference in late April, according to a community announcement.
“Candidates for this award have provided exceptional services to their fusion center and the National Network of Fusion Centers,” the organization stated. “These services or activities have brought awareness to the cyber threat and enhanced the ability of their jurisdiction to prevent, respond to, prepare for, and recover from cyber incidents.”
McLiverty was nominated by Vermont Intelligence Center leadership for his efforts to improve cybersecurity in Vermont. His work includes election support, incident reporting, intelligence sharing, weekly cyber threat reporting and engaging with new partners.
“Ryan has spent the last three years building a cybersecurity program in a small state with limited resources,” VIC leaders wrote in their nomination, adding that McLiverty developed the VIC’s cybersecurity program from scratch. “In doing so, he has built a reputation in the state and in the Fusion Center Network as a knowledgeable, inquisitive, and amicable cyber partner who is not only always willing to assist but is one of the first calls stakeholders make when assessing or mitigating a cyber-related incident.”
McLiverty, who grew up in Vermont, earned a bachelor’s degree in administration of justice and a master’s in homeland security studies with a concentration in intelligence and cybersecurity from Salve Regina University in Newport, Rhode Island. He then worked at the U.S. Naval War College, assisting in research on emerging military technologies, before returning to Vermont to join the VIC.
“Receiving this award is incredibly meaningful to me because it gives the work being done by the Vermont Intelligence Center a national platform,” McLiverty said. “We are one of the smallest fusion centers in the country, and being recognized alongside some of the largest states and fusion centers feels like a big win for Vermont.”
He said he was drawn to cybersecurity to benefit the public, and finds it especially meaningful to work in his home state.
“Receiving recognition for that work in front of all my peers from across the country was an amazing experience,” he said.
The Vermont Intelligence Center collects, analyzes and disseminates intelligence information to identify, investigate and prevent criminal activity. Its goal is to identify patterns and indicators of criminal and terrorism-related activity in the state, including drug-related and cyber-related incidents, to enable successful prevention and enforcement action.
The VIC coordinates statewide programs such as Amber and Blue alerts, the Drug Monitoring Initiative, Missing Person clearinghouse and the If You See Something, Say Something initiative. It also assists the Vermont State Police Major Crime Unit with the most serious cases. The VIC is led by Director Ron LaFond.
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