On September 2, 2020, Noblis co-hosted (with FCW) and participated in a high-level discussion of countering internal and external cyber threats and the challenges faced by government agencies. Speakers included senior officials from the FBI Cyber Division, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, NASA and the Cyberspace Solarium Commission. Read the event recap.

Modern connectivity has transformed government, but also dramatically expanded the attack surface. Agency missions bring unique challenges, and today’s adversarial activities are anything but rudimentary.

An effective cyber defense strategy depends on finely honed analytics and automation tailored to the network and the mission. And that, in turn, demands a deep understanding of both those mission needs and IT environments—and the ability to quickly evolve with the operational environment. Shifting focus from external network defenses to an emphasis on protecting data and who can access it—is one of several new strategies to strengthen defenses.

This discussion took an in-depth look at how leading agencies are working to counter both internal and external threats, and how custom analytics can better defend against advanced adversarial activities. The agenda included:

• Welcome and Opening Remarks
  • Troy Schneider, Editor-in-Chief, FCW & GCN
  • Rich Jacques, Vice President, Intelligence, Noblis
• Government Keynote: Understanding Today’s Evolving Threat Environment
  • Valerie Cofield, Deputy Assistant Director, Cyber Capabilities Branch, FBI Cyber Division
• Panel: Countering the External Adversary – What Rapid Response Requires
  • Chris S. Johnson, CISSP, CISM, Director, Cybersecurity Operations Center, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency
  • Chet Wall, Technical Director, 688th Cyberspace Wing, U.S. Air Force
  • Roy E. Horton III, Senior Manager, Cybersecurity Engineering, Noblis
  • Moderated By: Lauren C. Williams, reporter, FCW
• Rapid Production of Actionable Analysis
  • Kyle Forsyth, Cybersecurity Engineer, Noblis
• Panel: Advanced Analytics and the Internal Threat
  • Harold T. Cole, USN, Commanding Officer, Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command
  • Erica Borghard, Senior Director, Task Force One Lead, Cyberspace Solarium Commission
  • Julie Ard, Principal Insider Threat Researcher, Noblis
  • Moderated By: Derek B. Johnson, reporter, FCW
• Executive Insights: Transforming Threat Detection
  • Karim Said, Chief Information Security Officer, NASA
  • Troy Schneider, Editor-in-Chief, FCW & GCN
• Closing Remarks
  • Chris Barnett, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Noblis
  • Troy Schneider, Editor-in-Chief, FCW & GCN