Connectivity is integral to the warfighting force, but connecting the dispersed military and civilian workforce around the world is challenging. It requires a balance of speed and security while also prioritizing the user experience and modernizing infrastructure. At AFCEA TechNet Cyber, Defense Information Systems Agency J6 Global Services Directorate Vice Director Brig. Gen. Michael Cornell discusses cybersecurity efforts and how the department is embracing best practices and innovation while ...
Jun 26, 2024•8 min
One year since the publication of the Defense Department’s Cyber Workforce Implementation Plan, the department has made progress on filling 30,000 open cybersecurity roles. At AFCEA TechNet Cyber, DOD Principal Director for Resources & Analysis Mark Gorak discusses the plan and how it’s enabled the department to fill about 3,000 jobs so far. He also breaks down the next steps ahead in achieving full department efficiency and the plans to identify, upskill, train and retrain a mission-focused...
Jun 26, 2024•9 min
As the third largest network in the world behind the U.S. and China, Joint Force Headquarters – Department of Defense Information (DODIN) has many vulnerabilities it must secure. A key part of this mission is recruiting the talent to fill its numerous open cyber roles. DODIN Network Deputy Commander Brig. Gen. Heather Blackwell said key to building strong cybersecurity is having an engaged and innovative workforce. At AFCEA TechNet Cyber, Blackwell discussed how culture, the workforce and techno...
Jun 26, 2024•10 min
Artificial Intelligence is impacting two main areas of cancer research: image analysis and managing massive amounts of clinical data. The National Cancer Institute sees AI as a key capability in precision oncology. Dr. Eytan Ruppin, chief of NCI’s Cancer Data Science Lab, recently published a study about a new AI tool researchers are implementing to foresee how a patient will respond to immunotherapy by providing an in-depth look at the clinical characteristics of the patient as well as the Tumo...
Jun 24, 2024•36 min
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT has its sights set on advancing health equity through “Health Equity By Design” and U.S. Core Data Interoperability standards to ensure that everyone has fair and equal access to the highest quality of health care regardless of race, gender, disability, location and a host of other factors. Artificial intelligence is also playing a pivotal role in helping agencies achieve national health goals. Recently appointed acting chief AI officer of the...
Jun 18, 2024•46 min•Season 5Ep. 6
The Bureau of Intelligence and Research (INR), both a bureau in the State Department and a member of the Intelligence Community, is the only U.S. intelligence organization with the primary responsibility of providing intelligence to inform diplomacy and support U.S. diplomats. The bureau, like many government agencies, has focused on modernizing the enterprise by upskilling the workforce and modernizing IT. CIO Jimmy Hall, also director of the Technology, and Innovation Office (TIO), spoke about...
Jun 11, 2024•18 min•Season 6Ep. 9
Following its “Secure by Design” initiative and pledge, America’s cyber defense agency, CISA, is supporting the movement for software manufacturers to build security into their products at the start. The movement is part of a White House priority to shift responsibility for cybersecurity away from end users and toward manufacturers. CISA Senior Technical Advisor Jack Cable and Senior Policy Advisor Lauren Zabierek examine the impact the strategy and pledge will have on federal and industry leade...
Jun 07, 2024•37 min•Season 6Ep. 8
The Forest Service’s mission as lead federal agency in natural resource conservation includes oversight of 193 million acres of public lands and 600 million acres of forests across the U.S. A big mission for the service is wildfire management, which requires modern technology to monitor millions of acres and share information between the departments of Agriculture and Interior and also the public. The 100-year-old agency is transforming its technology and data operations to make more data availa...
Jun 04, 2024•24 min•Season 7Ep. 10
The National Cancer Institute’s partnership with St. Jude is helping researchers to better understand how cancer accelerates the aging process of survivors who were diagnosed as children. The team is also developing therapies that can decrease risks of frailty and dying at an early age. NCI’s Jennifer Guida and St. Jude’s Kirsten Ness say the Behavioral Research Program as well as the Human Performance Laboratory have been instrumental in helping determine which survivors are more likely to expe...
May 29, 2024•30 min
NIST’s new Cybersecurity Framework published earlier this year gives organizations a new set of harmonized cybersecurity guidelines and best practices. It’s the first major update in 10 years and broadens its scope beyond critical infrastructure entities. Cherilyn Pascoe, director of NIST’s Cybersecurity Center of Excellence, had a large role in developing the new framework. She said the plan emphasizes the importance of cybersecurity in an evolving technological environment and discusses how ot...
May 28, 2024•25 min•Season 6Ep. 7
The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) aims to recruit a more diverse pool of candidates to work in public health care. ONC Deputy National Coordinator for Operations and Chief Operating Officer Lisa Lewis Person helped create the Diversity Equity Inclusion and Accessibility Council back in 2020. An employee-led committee, the council develops policies and programs that ensure all Americans are represented in ONC's workforce. Person also sponsors the Publi...
May 21, 2024•18 min•Season 5Ep. 5
The U.S. Postal Service is in the middle of a three-year modernization plan to update its massive infrastructure, data centers and expansive telecom network. The service wants to prioritize technology innovation and leverage partnerships to transform its operations and business model for evolving mail and deliver services, relying on no taxpayer dollars to do so. CIO Pritha Mehra is focused on maintaining a highly resilient telecom network, securing data transfer and embracing new technology. Me...
May 14, 2024•27 min•Season 7Ep. 9
Cybercrime spans borders and agencies, so governments across the world have to work together to foment cybersecurity. Spain’s INCIBE is the Spanish National Institute of Cybersecurity and its version of what the U.S. knows to be CISA. Plus, NATO wants to work more closely with private and academic sectors in cybersecurity matters. The alliance recently chose INCIBE to be the only accelerator of cybersecurity startups of the Atlantic Alliance in Spain through the Defense Innovation Accelerator fo...
May 09, 2024•12 min
The White House’s National Cybersecurity Strategy tasks government agencies, industry and other organizations with guarding against cyber crime across the online environment. For the FBI, the strategy amplified and clarified the Bureau’s role across law enforcement efforts. FBI Cyber Deputy Assistant Director Cynthia Kaiser discussed at the RSA Conference in San Francisco how the strategy’s agile approach to cybersecurity and how it strengthens defenses. She also discusses how the good guys stay...
May 08, 2024•13 min
In 2023, Operation Cookie Monster disrupted the Genesis Market, which trafficked in selling digital fingerprints and credentials to the cyber underground. According to FBI agents, Genesis Market was a superstore for cybercriminals, spanning small crimes and massive theft. Led by the FBI, the operation brought together private industry, U.S. law enforcement and international partners. FBI Intelligence Analyst Thomas Gathman and Supervisory Special Agent Amanda Knutson discussed at the RSA Confere...
May 08, 2024•13 min
The Department of Veterans Affairs' new digital tool monitors hundreds of agency applications for glitches and other technical issues and sends alerts to remediate any detected problem in a matter of hours. This program, called Watchtower, shrinks the time that critical services are out of commission and ultimately prevents major disruptions to services for veterans. In some cases, Watchtower was able to preemptively identify issues before they became apparent. Overseeing the program is Bill Cha...
May 07, 2024•17 min•Season 7Ep. 8
Proteomics is an emerging field in cancer care and research. The National Cancer Institute’s Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) aims to get to the heart of cancer by studying its molecular basis across different cancers. The group believes expanding open-source resources and other data can lead to new treatments in cancer and expand precision medicine. Dr. Henry Rodriguez, the founding director of the Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research at NCI, discusses the program a...
Apr 29, 2024•32 min
In light of the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s new second iteration of its cybersecurity framework, Rubrik Public Sector CTO Travis Rosiek breaks down the framework’s importance across public and private sector organizations. Rosiek discusses the framework’s backup durability provisions, how artificial intelligence is helping protect data integrity and some of the evolving cybersecurity threats for federal agencies to be aware of. The framework is a critical component that ensu...
Apr 25, 2024•21 min•Season 6Ep. 6
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)'s current iteration of its strategic priorities features a new goal for environmental justice alongside civil rights and climate change. EPA Chief Financial Officer Faisal Amin shares new details about how the agency is developing new technology standards that will decrease greenhouse gas emissions and improve overall air quality. Amin also discusses where EPA sees potential for AI and other emerging technologies.
Apr 24, 2024•39 min•Season 7Ep. 7
The Food and Drug Administration produces and processes a lot of data. As FDA’s inaugural chief data officer, Ram Iyer discusses the office’s plans for data modernization and how it is using technology to create interdependency across the agency. Iyer also highlights where he sees emerging technology making the most impacts, how data governance is evolving and how partnerships are improving communication and collaboration. Plus, he highlights how his past experiences in industry are influencing ...
Apr 18, 2024•19 min•Season 5Ep. 4
The White House's port cybersecurity executive order tasks the Coast Guard with monitoring the cybersecurity of vessels, facilities and harbors. Threats could target the global supply chain, national security interests and other vital systems. Rear Adm. Wayne Arguin, the Coast Guard's assistant commandant for prevention policy, discusses how the executive order will affect the service and why cybersecurity matters to the Marine Transportation System. He explains his shifting priorities as the Co...
Apr 16, 2024•23 min•Season 6Ep. 5
The Marine Innovation Unit works to accelerate the adoption of advanced capabilities in the Marine Corps. Made up of reservists, MIU comprises personnel with diverse functional backgrounds in areas like logistics, cybersecurity and consulting to tackle some of the largest technological challenges at the service. MIU Commanding Officer Col. Brooks Braden discusses at Sea-Air-Space in National Harbor, Maryland, how MIU advises the Marine Corps on emerging technology, what public-private partnershi...
Apr 10, 2024•8 min
The Navy center responsible for managing IT supporting intelligence operations has a critical responsibility to keep communications and data-sharing capabilities both reliable and secure. Commanding Officer Capt. Matt Cegelske for the center, called the Hopper Global Communications Center situated in the Office of Naval Intelligence, discusses at the Sea-Air-Space conference some of the unique cybersecurity challenges the center faces in the current threat environment and his plans for collabora...
Apr 10, 2024•9 min
The Coast Guard is increasingly relying on modern technology to propel its mission. At Sea-Air-Space in National Harbor, Maryland, Commandant Adm. Linda Fagan said the changing pace of technology requires creative thinking and partnerships. She cites how the service is expanding artificial intelligence, machine learning and data analytics to bring its legacy computing ecosystem into one focused on modernization efforts for capabilities like autonomous vehicles and whatever the future brings. Fag...
Apr 10, 2024•10 min
The Marine Corps needs to balance security and accessibility challenges that come with having many devices and systems working together. At Sea-Air-Space in National Harbor, Maryland, Marines Cyber Technology Officer Shery Thomas briefs implementation plans for zero trust as part of the Defense Department’s broader plan to adopt zero trust architectures by 2027. Thomas also discusses how end user safety and artificial intelligence fits into this plan. Follow more of our Sea-Air-Space coverage....
Apr 10, 2024•10 min
Cyber threats are constantly evolving, so the Department of the Navy needs to be agile to thwart attacks. Assistant Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Information Warfare Jennifer Edgin at Sea-Air-Space in National Harbor, Maryland, discusses the challenges of securing Navy’s networks and how she sees technology like AI supporting threat monitoring in the cyber domain. She also discusses some of the acquisition considerations and breaking through the outdated tech model of break, buy, replace....
Apr 09, 2024•7 min
The White House’s executive order on port cybersecurity tasks the Coast Guard with leading cyber defenses for the expansive American Maritime Transportation System (MTS). The size and complexity of this network of waterways and ports can make it a prime target for cyber adversaries since breaching these avenues can disrupt global economic movement and security. Coast Guard Cyber Commander Rear Adm. Jay Vann at Sea-Air-Space in National Harbor, Maryland, puts these threats into perspective. He di...
Apr 09, 2024•10 min
National security challenges for the Defense Department require innovative technology and solutions from the defense and commercial sectors. Often times, these solutions that might begin development in one military service can apply to another. At Sea-Air-Space in National Harbor, Maryland, we spoke with Kedar Pavgi, national capital regional director at the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN). He discusses how the office, part of the Defense Innovation Unit, is working to bridge technol...
Apr 09, 2024•8 min
Defense Department leaders are looking at artificial intelligence to augment or automate core functions and processes. For the Navy, this technology can impact critical maritime missions. Dr. Glen Henshaw, senior scientist for autonomous and robotics systems at Naval Research Laboratory, discusses at Sea-Air-Space in National Harbor, Maryland, how the Navy is examining potential use cases for artificial intelligence within robots and other autonomous systems.
Apr 09, 2024•10 min
The current Navy and Marine Corps voice communications technology is a conglomeration of different systems, vendors and structures from the past several decades. This has brought a need for enhanced base modernization and centralization of VoIP communications. David Rouse, senior director, Defense and National Security Verizon, joined us at Sea-Air-Space 2024 to discuss the future in which there is an infrastructure flexible enough to work with current technologies (inside plant and outside) whi...
Apr 09, 2024•4 min
