Army Leaders Must Move Fast to Keep Cybersecurity Momentum

The U.S. Army must move quicker toward a massive cultural change to streamline cybersecurity processes—from training to all-out operations—if leaders hope to maintain the momentum toward innovation.

Leaders and experts touted the new “convergence” initiative to steamline missions carried out by the intelligence community, signal corps, electronic warfare and others in the department's quest to find solutions to shore up cyber vulnerabilities and protect key military networks. Convergence was on the lips of just about all who attended AFCEA International’s annual TechNet Augusta conference in Georgia.

“Speed is our friend,” said panelist Gary Martin, program executive officer for command, control and communications-tactical (PEO C3T). “Some of these things we can do today, but speed is of the essence in maintaining momentum. The tools are here to do this, we just need to move quickly.”

And while convergence in the military means streamlining similar disciplines toward a cybersecurity goal, the word takes on varying definitions for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), tasked with writing a national cyber defense plan, said Rosemary Wenchel, the DHS’ acting assistant secretary for cyber, infrastructure and resilience policy.

Convergence at the DHS means tapping state, local and tribal leaders for cyber solutions, she said, and working with a council of governors and the private sector.

“We put a lot of emphasis on the private sector,” Wenchel stated during an afternoon panel discussion providing the government's perspective on the sweeping cultural change and cybersecurity. "We clearly see in this space, there’s no way to work and to be effective if you don’t work closely with the private sector. It’s certainly not a domain that’s exclusive to the government.”

Convergence for the DHS also means working with the international communities, she added, and members of law enforcement. “The whole idea behind international cybercrime is all about how you prosecute this via new opportunities for law enforcement in the cyber realm. … You can see the impact of convergence everywhere. Cyber has become an essential operating environment for the full realm of mission execution.”

In the training arena, the combination of military defensive skill sets with intelligence makes “for pretty good people who know how to conduct defensive operations,” said Col. Jennifer Buckner, USA, commandant of the cyber school at the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence. “They’re quick learners and they’ve been devious—in a good way.”