2021 AGENDA

8:30 AM EST

Opening Remarks

  • Mike Gruss, Editor-in-chief, Defense News, C4ISRNET, Military Times, Federal Times

8:35 AM EST

Opening Keynote

  • Lt. Gen. Charles “Tuna” Moore, Deputy Commander, U.S. Cyber Command 
  • Moderator: Mark Pomerleau, Reporter, C4ISRNET

9:13 AM EST

The cyber warrior’s toolkit

Faced with growing, increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks, U.S. Cyber Command is working on a better way to develop, buy and deploy tools to cyber warriors who serve varied needs across the military. The Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture is Cyber Command’s answer to organize disparate tools to foster a highly skilled workforce of cyber operators. We’ll explore the technologies the command needs for the cyber toolkit of sensors and data platforms for mission planning. And we’ll ask for an update on the command’s steps to address concerns about how to best integrate tools purchased throughout the military branches.

Panel Discussion

  • Col. Ben Ring, Director, Joint Cyber Warfighting Architecture Capability Management Office, U.S. Cyber Command
  • Mr. Randall Sharo, Command Technology Officer (CTO), U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. TENTH Fleet
  • Moderator: Mark Pomerleau, Reporter, C4ISRNET

10:12 AM EST

The tactical cyber and info warfare metamorphosis

Cyber and information ops are decentralizing. With more sophisticated information attacks, the military is bulking up on tactical cyber and info warfare specialists who help commanders. Those tactical leaders need planners who understand the ins and outs of the domain and how to plug into the larger Cyber Command enterprise. What does the emergence of tactical cyber operations mean for a joint all-domain force? Emerging Army, Navy and Air Force teams are prompting new tools, training and strategy as they move their capabilities closer to commands and expand the definition of information operations.

Panel Discussion

  • Col. Brian Russell, Commanding Officer, Information Group, II MEF, U.S. Marine Corps
  • Moderator: Marjorie Censer, Editor, Defense News

11:00 AM EST

A need for speed (in software development)

Defense leaders are all in on fast, simplified software rollouts. The idea is central to the strategy to keep pace with adversaries’ advances. Easy software updates for equipment are the new goal — instead of sticking with technology until replacement is unavoidable. And new capabilities reach service members faster through an agile approach that favors lean, rapidly made software with persistent updates, a change from long timelines for comprehensive software packages that can be outdated before implemented. Dedicated software factories, such as Air Force’s Kessel Run and Navy’s OASIS, use open-source development to quickly deliver improvements over legacy systems, and the Defense Department increasingly embraces this DevSecOps mindset with technology and cloud suppliers that create software for the military or run it for the DoD as a service.

Industry Fireside Chat

  • Aaron Swain, Director of Digital Transformation, VMware
  • Moderator: Mike Gruss, Editor-in-chief, Defense News, C4ISRNET, Military Times & Federal Times

Panel Discussion

  • Lt. Col. Vito Errico, Director, Army Software Factory
  • Moderator: Mike Gruss, Editor-in-chief, Defense News, C4ISRNET, Military Times & Federal Times

11:56 AM EST

Adviser and enforcer: developments in cyber leadership

The rise of cyber as a domain introduced new responsibilities and positions of trust across defense agencies. In recent years, lawmakers required each service to designate a top cyber adviser to provide insights on recruitment, training and readiness of cyber forces, acquisition of offensive and defensive capabilities, and cybersecurity supply chain risks. At the same time, chief information security officers — rare or nonexistent just 20 years ago — have become essential for operational vigilance and information integrity. With cyber leadership in the spotlight, we’ll hear from CISOs and cyber advisers on how they translate cyber policies for the battlefield.

Industry Fireside Chat

  • Brett Barraclough, Vice President, Cyber and Information Solutions, Defense Sector, ManTech
  • Moderator: Marjorie Censer, Editor, Defense News

Panel Discussion

  • Mr. David Luber, Deputy Director, Cybersecurity Directorate, National Security Agency
  • RADM Mike Ryan, Commander, Coast Guard Cyber Command
  • Moderator: Marjorie Censer, Editor, Defense News

12:52 PM EST

Zero trust — from buzzword to essential strategy

With hackers getting better at disguising themselves as legitimate network users, the Pentagon wants to build its defenses on the inside, going beyond perimeter protections to keep adversaries out. The department advocates a zero trust cybersecurity methodology based on the premise that attackers will inevitably find their way in. The idea is that organizations should trust no one and verify everything: users, devices and standing access privileges. As the Pentagon’s top IT shop considers creating a portfolio management office to speed up zero trust adoption, let’s explore how software and cloud environments must mature to verify identity at each stop along the network: the router, the switch, the computer to the DoD’s common access card.

Industry Fireside Chat

  • Dan Smith, Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, ManTech
  • Moderator: Daniel Thomas, C4ISRNET

Keynote

  • David McKeown, Deputy DoD Chief Information Officer for Cybersecurity
  • Moderator: Mike Gruss, Editor-in-chief, Defense News, C4ISRNET, Military Times & Federal Times

1:40 PM EST

Closing Keynote

  • Mieke Eoyang, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy 
  • Moderator: Mark Pomerleau, Reporter, C4ISRNET

2:10 PM EST

Closing Remarks

  • Mark Pomerleau, Reporter, C4ISRNET