DISA Describes Cyber Challenges, Requirements

Baltimore, June 21, 2017 -- Baltimore, June 21, 2017 – When it comes to security, a lot rides on the blossoming ecosystem known as the Internet of Things that will influence just about every part of society. According to Lt. Gen. Alan Lynn, USA, critical to what the U.S. Defense Department seeks—both in-house as well as from industry—is bold innovation that delivers security. The way the Internet was built, for example, means people can ride on it anonymously. That must change, Gen. Lynn stated.

Lt. Gen. Alan Lynn, USA, director, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), and commander, Joint Force Headquarters–Department of Defense Information Network (JFHQ-DODIN), addresses a packed session at the AFCEA International Defensive Cyber Operations Symposium.

The general is the director of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), and commander of the Joint Force Headquarters–Department of Defense Information Network (JFHQ-DODIN). He shared these thoughts at the AFCEA International Defensive Cyber Operations Symposium (DCOS) in Baltimore. Videos of the general’s keynote address as well as presentations by other speakers at the symposium are now available online.

Gen. Lynn shared a succinct list of near-term needs with attendees that included software-defined networking, identity algorithms, large data analytics and business analytics. He also highlighted a few key contracts rolling out this year that tally in the billions of dollars for the industrial base. Leading the pack is DISA's plans for MilCloud 2.0, a contract valued at about $498 million. MilCloud is the agency’s venture into a military cloud system designed to be more secure than commercial cloud, he said.

In terms of cybersecurity, plenary speaker Dr. Steven H. Walker, acting director, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), pointed out that securing networks, data and, more broadly, any system that runs code, remains a truly difficult national security challenge for the nation.

Hacking no longer falls within the domain of bored high school kids. Sophisticated criminals and terrorists perpetrate attacks, some backed by the deep pockets of adversarial nation-states. Yet because no silver bullet to solving the nation’s cyber problem exists, interagency partnerships, such as one between DARPA and DISA, are imperative, he stated.

Dr. John A. Zangardi, acting chief information officer, Defense Department, agreed. He added that the swiftly changing cyber domain also demands a dynamic and dedicated partnership between the Defense Department and industry. This relationship is critical to developing both the technologies and the work force needed for the United States to maintain the edge over adversaries.

The department also is working on boosting security by reducing its attack surface, Zangardi added. To this end, DISA has issued guidance that military agencies can use to connect to commercial cloud providers via cloud access points, or CAPs. Though unpopular, he said, from a cybersecurity perspective, CAPs help the Defense Department determine whether cloud services can accommodate data classified at the higher security levels.

“Because most vendors have connections to the Internet, the department needs to make sure that DOD data at [classification] level four and above is hosted in a secure commercial environment,” he stated.

DCOS photos, presentations and editorial coverage also are available online.

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A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b7a856b2-7af2-4219-a180-673d68eb4945

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/076f0461-1557-4a72-b2e0-cd9386d4fb84

Maryann Lawlor
AFCEA International
(703) 631-6179
[email protected]