Senior federal officials from cybersecurity agencies and industry experts gathered Friday for keynote speeches and panel discussions on the status of nations cybersecurity efforts. The Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association's (AFCEA) DC chapter hosted the event.
First, the head of U.S. Cyber Command discussed his mission at a conference in Washington, saying cyber operations have to be planned and executed using the same processes the military uses for conventional warfare. Maj. Gen. Brett Williams said the key to effective cyber operations is a well-trained force and sufficient information as opposed to technical superiority.
Then, Pentagon official in charge of cyber security passed on an opportunity to describe the military’s offensive capabilities in the cyber realm during a conference in Washington. Eric Rosenbach is the Deputy Assistant Defense Secretary for Cyber Policy. He described the problem cyber attacks from non-state actors as one of the greatest threats facing the U.S.
Next, administration officials from government agencies discussed efforts to guard against cyber attacks. They said the rapid pace of change in the cyber world often clashes with government’s ability to deploy tools for combating the threats. Jeff Eisensmith of the Homeland Security Department said a bigger budget would allow his agency to do a better job of policing the information technology supply chain, which is one of the areas vulnerable to cyber attacks.
Later, attendees heard luncheon addresses from Suzanne Spaulding, deputy under secretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Andy Ozment, senior director for Cybersecurity for the Executive Office of the President.