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CNBC Features CTOvision’s Bob Gourley On Advanced Cyber Threat Reporting

CNBC’s Scott Cohn produced a segment focused on US Military cyber security which aired 11 October 2013 we believe will be of broad interest to our readers.

This segment, embedded below, focused on the increasing risk DoD networks face due to the government shutdown, but also provided a review of what CNBC assesses are the top five most significant attacks against DoD.

 

 

From the report:

“Military systems are growing more complex and more intertwined daily, making them more vulnerable and on top of that, we have these ongoing issues with budgets. There was first the sequester, which cut deep into IT modernization accounts, and now there is the government shutdown,” said Bob Gourley, the editor of CTOVision.com. Gourley has analyzed the U.S. military’s security.

The full economic impact may not be known for months, but according to Gourley, the Pentagon’s cybernetworks are vulnerable, which could lead to larger problems in the future.

It is interesting that when CNBC asked DoD for input on this situation they replied that all is well. DoD told CNBC that they are able to respond just fine and that:

“While the shutdown has been disruptive to our mission and many civilians remain furloughed, personnel who support key missions and activities remain on duty. These missions include sustaining critical IT capabilities and maintaining our network defenses.”

They also said:

“We have full confidence in the integrity of the department’s networks and systems upon which we conduct critical operations. Recent reports about cyber intrusions does not change that assessment.”

I hate to argue, but it is pretty clear the person responding to CNBC questions has not read the DSB study of Jan 2013, and it is also very likely they have not spoken to anyone responsible for operating or defending networks in the Pentagon.

For more from CNBC, see: Defense networks vulnerable to cyberattack: expert 

 

Thoughts on the Government Shutdown: from a technologist perspective

The government shutdown is causing a real disruption to the lives of technologists in and around the federal government. While this is especially true in the Northern Virginia area we live and operate in, it is also impacting US federal government technologists and their contractors around the country. We empathize with you all.

This note is meant to provide some food for thought for technologists in this situation.

For all: 

  • Remember that the most important thing to do is to deal with reality. Don’t dwell too much on what Congress or the President should have done. Just know what they did and what the situation is. Then decide what you should do about your situation.

For Government Technologists sent on furlough because of the shutdown:

  • We have love and empathy for you. You did not deserve this. It is only natural for you to think about changes to your career path at this time. But please remember the nation needs people like you, and please keep the faith for as long as possible.
  • The rules on what you can do associated with your job seem pretty strict. You cannot even volunteer to do things associated with your job. As crazy as that statement sounds, and as much as you love your agency and your country, you will need to focus your attention elsewhere for a little time.
  • As you make your personal choices on what to focus on you might want to dwell on some technology subjects. Please by all means catch up on your reading here at CTOvision.com but you can also aim your Kindle at Tom White’s “Hadoop: The Definitive Guide.”  You can also order Kevin Smith’s latest book, “Professional Hadoop Solutions”.  I just got my copy yesterday and will be diving into it ASAP.
  • If you have not already asked your supervisor if it is ok for you to conduct outside work it is probably too late to do that. This means there is little you can do to make up for your lost wages.
  • There is something you can do that might help with future wages. You can start writing the book you have always wanted to start. Writing is a personal/private thing and if you have ever had the bug to do it you might have a good excuse to focus on that right now.
  • Another thing that might help you with future wages: Check out the courses at Cloudera University.

For Government Technologists still on the job:

  • Your service to the mission is what is important here. Your primary functions at this time are probably to “keep the lights on”, right? You know how to do that and there is nothing we can do to help except tell you we empathize with you.
  • Our only advice at this time is to have empathy for your fellow technologists in and out of government that were told they are to go without pay during this period. Things are very hard on you right now, but it is harder on some others.

For the contractors out of work because of this shutdown:

  • It is very likely that you are under less restrictions that your government counterparts regarding outside work. The bad news is that many others are in your situation and are very likely looking for any part time work they can get to make ends meet. I would advise looking internal to your company first (if you work for one of the big guys).
  • You may also want to start writing. If you have a book in you, start capturing that during this downtime. But you may have other outlets for your writing that government technologists do not. For example, you may be more free to publish in journals and blogs. If you have a technology piece you are ready to write on, please get it to me here at CTOvision. We love submissions from enterprise technologists.
  • We empathize with you guys too. This is hard and crazy. If you are able to find other jobs far away from this sector that may be the best approach at this time. I hate to say it, I know you are in this sector for many reasons and that may include a deep love for the mission you serve, but the many trends in this sector are not working in your favor (for example, see: Ready or not, software is eating the government contracting world). This may be a good time to consider a shift to totally different activities for your career.

For technology vendors and the great creators of innovation in American industry:

  • If you were reading the above you saw multiple uses of the term empathy. This applies to you guys too, but in a different and bigger way. Now is the time for you to be incredibly understanding and empathetic with those in and around government.
  • The government still needs you. In fact, they need your innovation now more than ever. So this sets up a contradiction you should be aware of. Although the government needs your advanced, innovative technologies now more than ever, since the government has stopped all business they are not able to pay for it. The law says they can’t accept it for free either in case you were thinking of that!  The way to deal with this contradiction: stay polite and empathetic but persistent. Continue to get information into government but keep it very succinct. No one has time to read a tome now. And few people will want to meet with you. If you seek meetings, ask for very short, 15 minute discussions.
  • Consider offering webinars or webex meetings to people in government or the integrators instead of face to face meetings. This can be far more efficient for the technologist in government or industry.
  • Tech vendors should also understand that the integrator partners you are working with will have a lot on their minds for a few days at least. The leadership teams you work with are probably very busy trying to get coverage for people who are now not generating revenue from government contracts. I would recommend continuing to get info to them about your capabilities but there to be succinct.
  • Stand by for continued disruption of schedules, on very short notice.

For everyone let me repeat the word empathy. We should all feel for each other right now. But let me close with the thought I started with. You should understand reality. Know the difference between what should be and what is.

 

 

Doing Business with DoD and All of Fed Government- Post-Sequestration

Do you interact with government professionals in DoD or elsewhere in the federal government? This post may give you some important insights that may help.

Next time you make an appointment to meet with your DoD counterpart, you will most likely notice some very unpleasant changes. As you are well aware, sequestration has forced DoD to make some arbitrary cuts in ways that make no contribution towards meeting DoD goals and missions. By design, the sequestration is devoid of logic and planning, and it is breeding a sense of helplessness into an organization that prides itself on mission accomplishment.

First off: the furloughs themselves. Civil service employees in DoD are mandated to take 11 unpaid days off between now and 1 October, the end of the Fiscal Year. I have observed very few exemptions to the mandate. It appears that unless you are directly working in a combat zone, you will have to comply.

In the Navy, even the working capital employees of SPAWAR are required to furlough. Since these working capital employees are paid directly by the funds received for the projects they are working on, not paying them for these days does nothing to save USN money, and makes the programs at risk for having unobligated funds at the end of the year.

I have talked to numerous civil servants who are suffering the effects of this unanticipated 20% pay cut. You should know that when they do the math, they do NOT call it a 20% pay cut, but more than that. They have fixed expenses for their health care, insurance, retirement, etc.  When the resulting 20% comes off the remainder, it is felt as more than 20% of the whole.

Secondly: the psychological effect. I have worked in DoD for many years, and I usually encounter the best and the brightest. These folks come to work with only one thing on their mind: doing the BEST job they can. They have always known that they have traded a lower income for a sense of National pride and a direct impact on the US defense mission.

Now they are being directed to work less hours and chastised that they must NOT work the full 40 hours. Their normal inclination is to suck it up and accomplish their job anyways. In fact, many of these employees are being told that there must be some pain to this policy. Some things must fall apart. For a force that prides itself on getting things done, this is having a very debilitating psychological impact.

As these employees sit back and watch their work go undone, it is only natural that they feel a sense of shame and frustration. They are being asked to do less. They are being told that their work is not important. They are being told that completing their work successfully is no longer a requirement.

I have always known that the most motivated employees are those that clearly understand their mission and have the tools and authorities to accomplish the goals. No amount of bonuses, time off, promotions, etc. can compete with the sense of well being achieved by doing a hard job well.

How this will unfold for next year is still unknown. A few organizations have obtained approval for reduction in forces (RIF).  (Commander Naval Installations just announced that 745 civilian positions will be eliminated by 2014 ). It is clearly more effective to trim forces by 20%, vice rendering 100% of the forces 80% (or less) effective through furloughs.

Meanwhile, as you try to line up your meetings with DoD, some things you should know. Most commands are furloughing on Fridays.  Some are bundling their Fridays with a Monday, to give them four-day weekends. During their furlough days, they are not reading/answering any emails or taking any phone calls. When they return, their emails and voice mails are backed up. If you time your request wrong, you will get lost in the backlog.

Things that were always hard are now a lot harder. DoD has not standardized their visitor requirements across the department. We all know that “boutique” solutions exist from organization to organization, usually a combination of Visitor Requests, JPAS submissions, etc.  Making sure that all these t’s are crossed and i’s are dotted usually requires someone from within to connect the dots. On my recent swing through the PACOM AOR, I experienced two such disconnects.  I usually bat 100%.

Finally, the meeting itself is subject to coordination across the participant organizations to find a time/date where all players are at work. With all the catching up that they are doing from their days off, and with the overwhelming sense of failure that comes from not completing your work, it’s increasingly difficult to line up productive sessions. I have found that one-on-one meetings are much more likely to be successful.

In conclusion, you will need to pay special attention to the above as you work with DoD this year. No matter how frustrated you are at the results, please remember to give a few words of encouragement.  We are all in this together, whether we like it or not.

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