CyberCast

The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) awarded a $7 million zero trust prototype, called Thunderdome, to Booz Allen Hamilton last year and recently completed the pilot. Cybersecurity & Analytics Director Brian Hermann discusses next steps for zero trust implementation across the Defense Department.

As security concerns grow, phishing attacks are threatening students and educators in schools across the country. The Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency's new K-12 Report outlines what schools can do to better protect their systems from cyber intrusions and overall risks. The report highlights three key areas, including investing in security controls, addressing resource constraints and...

Faced with growing ransomware threats, phishing attempts and more, the Department of Veterans Affairs is reevaluating what it means to be "secure" in a hybrid environment. VA CISO Lynette Sherrill outlines the agency's cybersecurity strategy and emphasizes the importance of identity management through multi-factor authentication and least privileged access to secure critical IT systems and veteran...

Upon the release of the White House's new National Cybersecurity Strategy, federal IT and cyber leaders reviewed current cyber risks and strategies at GovCIO Media & Research's first in-person event of the year, CyberScape: Insider Threats. Managing hybrid cloud security vulnerabilities, reducing technical debt, limiting the spread of shadow IT and securing open-source software were major talking...

Drawing on her experience as a CTO in the private sector, Assistant National Cyber Director for Technology Security Anjana Rajan centered national discussions around open-source software security against the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine war. Rajan identified risk drivers and solutions for bringing cybersecurity to the forefront of IT per the Biden administration's new National Cybersecurity Stra...

The Enduring Security Framework, a public-private partnership with NSA as its executive secretariat, released a new product examining the benefits, security risks, deployment, and benefits of 5G network slicing. Based on the previously published work "Potential threat vectors to 5G infrastructure," the new document provides an executive overview of the risks involved with deploying network slicing...

With a challenging maritime computing environment, the Coast Guard supports several missions for the departments of Defense and Homeland Security. Assistant Commandant for C4 & IT Rear Adm. Christopher Bartz discusses his workforce, cybersecurity and tech priorities, including how he's approaching the service's own take on interconnected data systems akin to DOD's JADC2 as well as a new software f...

CISA's Joint Cyber Defense Collaborative (JCDC) announced a 2023 planning agenda to stay ahead of persistent cybersecurity threats to federal agencies, such as supply chain risk and open-source software. Learn why these threats are so high profile and how federal agencies across defense, health and civilian sectors are working together to share critical information about cybersecurity risks and in...

As the Coast Guard prepares to launch its first software factory later this year, Deputy CIO Brian Campo discusses how his prior experience as CTO for the Department of Homeland Security prepared him to lead the Coast Guard into a more cybersecure future with zero trust, a continuous authorization to operate (cATO) approach and a strong foundation in data management strategies.

Cybersecurity will always be a critical issue. In 2022 federal agencies developed targeted strategies and frameworks to stay ahead of the evolving threat landscape. Our hosts reflect on the top news and trends of last year, including new zero trust strategies out of the departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs, evolving tech and cyber workforce frameworks, plans to combat ransomware and more. P...

The Vulnerability Disclosure Program (VDP) is the youngest directorate within the Defense Department (DOD) Cyber Crime Center. Established in 2016, it's the sole focal point for receiving all vulnerability reporting at the agency, and it is uniquely positioned as it engages private-sector white hat researchers to support its mission. In January 2021, it expanded its scope from only public-facing w...

Global dependence on technology blurs the lines between national and cybersecurity, elevating the importance that consistent collaboration and information-sharing has in the industry. ODNI Director of Cyber Threat Intelligence Integration Center Laura Galante discusses the prevalence of disinformation and how the rapidly shifting cyber landscape impacts the intelligence community.

Identity management is a key factor to creating a robust cybersecurity strategy. GSA's newly published Privileged Identity Playbook helps federal agencies implement and manage a privileged user management function as part of an overall ICAM program. GSA's Identity Assurance and Trusted Access Division Director Key Myers and CISA IT Specialist Ross Foard discuss the playbook's implications and best...

The CyberCast Ransomware Miniseries comes to a close with advice from CISA, which serves as the federal hub for cyber training, awareness and resources for industry and federal agencies. CISA National Risk Management Center Assistant Director Mona Harrington discusses trends such as triple extortion and ransomware-as-a-service and how strategies such as network segmentation and cyber incident repo...

Mobile devices have become a prime target for malicious actors and ICE is using zero trust to significantly improve threat detection and data protection. In this episode, ICE CISO Rob Thorne also highlights the importance of applying zero trust principles to enterprise mobility and how cyber hygiene activities are helping to propel the agency on its path to zero trust. This episode is sponsored by...

The Army has been testing an application that would let its soldiers and civilian employees access the Army's network through their personal devices. It is ready to scale up from under a thousand users to almost 20,000 employees. Lt. Gen. John Morrison, Army deputy chief of staff, G-6, provides more details on lessons learned from the program's pilot, associated cybersecurity concerns, and how zer...

Hybrid cloud creates new efficiencies but can also cause new cybersecurity risks. The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), which helps lead cloud modernization for the Defense Department, needs strong partnerships with cloud vendors to maintain a strong security posture. Strategies such as "environment as code," DevSecOps and zero trust can help improve user experience while limiting vulnera...

GovCIO Media & Research has had a busy two weeks, hosting back to back CyberScape events on zero trust and data and automation security. Join deputy editor Kate Macri and staff writer/ researcher Sarah Sybert for a CyberScape double album, where they unpack the top takeaways from the sessions.

ICE is turning to its Homeland Security Investigations Cyber Crimes Center for assistance when it comes to getting a handle on the recent spike in ransomware, cyber fraud and other malicious attacks. ICE Division Chief of the HSI Cyber Crimes Center Matt Swenson also talks about a new cyber intelligence initiative that is providing ICE with a better way to make use of data and enhance the investig...

Federal agencies are accelerating cyber programs and initiatives to stay up to speed with the quickly changing landscape. Deputy Editor Kate Macri and Staff Writer Sarah Sybert unpack top takeaways from the summer, including upcoming cybersecurity workforce strategies, DOD's new five-year zero trust strategy and new directives around supply chain security.

The Defense Department's second iteration of CMMC will soon be released with a focus on cyber hygiene and cybersecurity basics. DOD's CMMC lead, Stacy Bostjanick, discusses the importance of the guidelines and DOD's cyber expectations for the Defense Industrial Base — live from the Billington Cybersecurity Summit.

Federal cyber leaders want more women in cyber and national security roles, but many women don't know where to start. CYBERCOM Commander Col. Candice Frost discusses the importance of mentorship and offers practical advice for closing the cybersecurity workforce shortage and bringing more women into those roles.

Retirement plan data is vulnerable to a variety of threats, including malware, ransomware, phishing, spoofing, business email compromise, social engineering, account takeover and privilege abuse, making it a critical priority to protect. Department of Labor Acting Assistant Secretary for Employee Benefits Security Ali Khawar discusses how new cybersecurity guidance over the past year has helped ke...

The Defense Department's 5G-to-Next G Initiative will help strengthen networks and pave the way for 5G implementation to securely operate at the edge. The "Operate Through" portion of the initiative is leveraging infrastructure already in place for enhanced communication while preventing adversaries from obtaining sensitive mission details — with the millimeter wave spectrum playing a key part in...

The FBI has been keeping tabs on the evolution of ransomware, and in recent years ransomware attempts and incidents have risen significantly in both sophistication and severity. The latest in this ransomware miniseries talks to FBI's Cyber Section Chief Bryan Smith on how the agency's investigation and mitigation tactics have advanced alongside these cyber crimes — including best practices to make...