Cybersecurity is a topic of talk in executive suites at organizations of all sizes, in all market segments, and in all geographies. The volume and sophistication of threats continues to evolve and grow, often powered by artificial intelligence (AI).
It is in the public sector, however, that cyber risks elevate from an adverse impact on financials and shareholder value, to a threat to constituent services and mission fulfillment. Life and death can be impacted with every compromised network or system.
The gravity of this cyber environment was apparent among the speakers, panelists, attendees, and sponsors at the Federal Cybersecurity Executive Summit, held in early April in Washington, DC by technology provider Optiv + ClearShark and its media partner GovExec. Included below are a few select comments from the Summit keynote and subsequent panel discussions.
Opening Keynote: Security Without Barriers – the Mission Imperative
- Daniel Wilbricht, President at Optiv + ClearShark
The government mandate is clear: mission first, security always.
True operational security is identity first. Defense must happen in real time at the edge of the network, in every moment.
We need to stop thinking about security as a fence, but rather as an engine to help achieve mission fulfillment. Downtime for a government agency is a threat to national security. It has an impact on the everyday needs of citizens.
Panel Presentation: Identity Trap – Escaping Compliance Without Compromise
- John Baase, Program Manager, Identity, Credential and Access Management (PEO Cyber) at Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)
- Jennifer Zientek, Field Chief Technology Officer at Optiv + ClearShark
John Baase, DISA: “Social engineering is what keeps me up at night. We have a lot of tools and technologies, but social engineering is our blind spot. How can we protect our individuals from unknowingly opening the door to bad outcomes?”
John Baase, DISA: “Proprietary protocols do not work at DISA. We need secure standards to allow for flexibility while retaining security.”
Jennifer Zientek, Optiv + ClearShark: “Once an identity is confirmed, being able to watch that person across different networks in an environment is important. We look for consistency in behavior. It is important to know the right person is doing the right thing, and that identity is not compromised. Even if it looks like a friendly, is it really a friendly?”
John Baase, DISA: “The Department of War is changing with the goal of more rapid adoption of technology for mission achievement. We are focused on authentication and access control. There are different levels of the credential and the impact of that credential if compromised.”
Panel Presentation: SecOpsIO – Moving Cyber Defense to Machine Speed
- Mark Canter, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at Government Accountability Office (GAO)
- Kevin Dorse, Director, Federal Managed Services at Optiv + ClearShark
Kevin Dorsey, Optiv + ClearShark: “AI is an accelerant, not a replacement for people. AI can automate mundane tasks which allows security analysts to focus on higher value tasks. SecOpsIO is embedded in the infrastructure of the organization. We help at the data level to collect and assess before it reaches the analyst for a more complete evaluation.”
Kevin Dorsey, Optiv + ClearShark: “Are you confident you can see all of the data? That is the challenge we help agencies address. We establish the connective tissue between 40 to 50 tools and applications.”
Mark Canter, GAO: “There are functions that cyber has to do. There are functions that operations have to do. Integration allows us to look at the totality of the operations of the IT of the organization.”
Mark Canter, GAO: “Requirements are not stagnant. How often are they reviewed to keep up with technology and its functionality? This is on both the cyber and operations side of the organization. New technologies and techniques are constantly evolving. We ask ourselves: How are we keeping up with everything? How are we defending against adversaries who are also evolving?”
Panel Presentation: AI with a Mission, From Data Overload to Decision Advantage
- Colonel Juliet Calvin, Commanding Officer, Marine Corps Cyberspace Operations Group at US Marine Corps
- James Johnson, Program Executive Officer (PEO) at Defense Logistics Agency (DLA)
Colonel Calvin, US Marine Corps: “The biggest barrier is data collection and integration across platforms and technologies…intelligence and informed information drives our decision-making in a complex and synchronized world.”
James Johnson, DLA: “I don’t always have a technology problem. I need help with outcomes. I need vendors to help me extend the investments I have already made in cloud, security, ERP, AI, and modernization. The end game is the outcome we are looking for.”
James Johnson, DLA: “Continuous monitoring is increasingly important. I don’t want to manage 90 systems. I want to manage a small group of platforms that are flexible and standardized.”
Colonel Calvin, US Marine Corps: “One of the things I love most about AI is that when making decisions I can be informed by historical information and data. Decisions are based on a host of information – both historical and time now. That is a true game changer.”