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15 Jun 17. DoD Seeks to Stay Ahead of Cybersecurity Threats, Acting CIO Says. Staying ahead of the cybersecurity threat requires the Defense Department to hire the best people, partner with industry and practice good cyber hygiene, the DoD acting chief information officer said today.
John A. Zangardi delivered the keynote luncheon address at the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association’s Defense Cyber Operations Symposium in Baltimore.
“We can’t solve today’s complex problems with yesterday’s thinking or technologies,” he said. “As all of you are well aware, IT innovation today more often comes from industry, and not government.”
But technology alone will not solve the cybersecurity challenges, he said, noting that the issues require an exceptional workforce, a shared commitment throughout the department and collaboration with private industry.
The Defense Department tracks cyber habits across the agency through the DoD cyber scorecard, he said. Good cyber habits are critical in keeping the networks safe, he explained. “The foundation for a resilient cybersecurity posture is cyber hygiene,” he said.
Seeking the Best in Cyber Excepted Service
For DoD to attract the best cybersecurity professionals, Zangardi told the symposium audience, Congress granted the department new authorities to hire cyber professionals under what is known as the Cyber Excepted Service, an enterprisewide approach for managing civilian cyber professionals across the department.
The Cyber Excepted Service will provide more flexibility in DoD hiring procedures, allowing DoD components to source candidates with more options and post jobs clearly identified as Cyber Excepted Service in a range of locations, he said.
“It will also leverage a market-based pay structure to deliver more targeted and competitive compensation packages for critical civilian personnel,” he said, adding that he expects the department will issue the personnel policies for the Cyber Excepted Service in July or August.
Cyber Professionals of Tomorrow
Zangardi highlighted the importance of inspiring the next generation of cyber talent, through mentoring and by encouraging children’s interest.
“The future will require the development of a well-rounded workforce that is proficient in the basics, and the basics to me are reading and writing and math — literacy and mathematics,” he said. “These are enablers for the next generation of cyber talent.”
Building the cyber force of the future includes creating a strong work ethic, developing perseverance and helping children understand that failure is a part of learning, Zangardi said.
“As the department and other employers struggle to attract and retain talent, a larger pool of talent is crucial to our nation’s future competitiveness and security,” he added. (Follow Lisa Ferdinando on Twitter @FerdinandoDoD)
15 Jun 17. Saab to boost security for Australian government agencies.
Defence and security company Saab has been awarded a contract to enhance security measures at strategic Australian Government facilities under a transformation project in response to increased threats.
Under the contract Saab Australia will deliver an integrated security system which will monitor, identify and communicate threats, protecting public servants working in an increasingly volatile environment.
“Integrated security systems like this have been adopted by the UK and USA to proactively manage access and identify threats as we see more random attacks on agencies and within public spaces”, said Mark Slade, Civil Security Manager, Saab Australia.
The system to be rolled out nationally is based on Saab’s OneView security platform currently installed in 28 high-security prisons and defence bases across Australia and New Zealand.
“Our OneView security system combine