Cyber Experts Will Share Insights at CyberSecureGov 2016

The adage “knowledge is power” will be proven again this week in Washington.

The 4^th Annual (ISC)² CyberSecureGov, a training conference for cybersecurity professionals in federal government, will unite some of the greatest minds and biggest decision makers in the cybersecurity world to learn, network and discuss real issues affecting the industry.

The conference also coincides with the release of the 2016 State of Cybersecurity from the Federal Cyber Executive Perspective, an (ISC)² report produced in collaboration with KPMG. This new research will provide a measured illustration of the national outlook on cybersecurity today.

On the heels of last spring’s massive breach at the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and in the face of constantly evolving adversaries, there’s no time like the present to assess and enhance cybersecurity in the U.S.

(ISC)² also conducted a global workforce study in 2015 to take the pulse of the industry.

“Despite significant investments in new cybersecurity policies, guidance and tools, the U.S. government’s state of security readiness was not profiting, and the government was seeing very little return on its investment,” (ISC)² CEO David Shearer says.

Since then, he says, not much has changed.

This stasis has resulted in part from the common misperception that cybersecurity is solely a technology issue, KPMG Principal Tony Hubbard says.

“The biggest weakness across all of these agencies, but especially the ones that have had public breaches, is the people factor,” Hubbard says. “It is the most overwhelming vulnerability.”

The “people factor” represents both insider threats and the cyber-literacy of government agents. Shearer points out that until recently there wasn’t a common lexicon for discussing cybersecurity in government, making it difficult to develop a workforce with the necessary skills and training to take on advanced cyber threats.

But government and military organizations are cognizant of this need, and they are taking varying degrees of action to address it.

The Department of the Navy, for example, has responded to recent breaches by completely reassessing internal operations, including IT training processes, Navy Deputy Chief Information Officer Janice Haith says.

“It’s a very robust and aggressive action,” she says. “It's cradle-to-grave; everybody's involved. No one gets out of doing it, so everybody has to participate.”

And Haith says the Navy is prepared and excited to move forward in cybersecurity — especially to cloud.

“[Cloud] is not the Navy’s or DOD’s core competency, but it is a core competency of some of our industry partners,” Haith says. “And so we are looking at opportunities to leverage some of their expertise.”

CyberSecureGov 2016 aims to demonstrate how uniting that expertise across industry and government can lead to a more fortified national strategy, building cybersecurity strength from a diverse polymer of knowledge.

Recruiting more personnel into the cybersecurity field, appropriately training them and developing widespread competencies are critical components of a complex cybersecurity puzzle that Shearer, Hubbard and Haith will tackle in a panel at CyberSecureGov 2016. Nextgov Staff Correspondent Mohana Ravindaranth will moderate.

Shearer expects the panel and the event at large will explore the increased role that federal cybersecurity executives play in helping government leaders make complex business decisions swiftly.

Hubbard says advancing technologies could help set government on the right track, if aligned with a strong team of cyber professionals and an organizational commitment to consistent cyber hygiene.

“With the right tools in place, federal organizations may be able to better detect and prevent the next attack,” he says. “But the people factor will remain the primary element of success.”

CyberSecureGov 2016 will take place May 19-20 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Register here.

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