Cybersecurity Awareness Day brings top experts to Space Coast

  • Published
  • By Susan A. Romano
  • AFTAC Public Affairs
PATRICK SPACE FORCE BASE, Fla. --  The National Security Agency’s Deputy Chief of Central Security Service, and the Department of the Air Force’s Chief Information Security Officer were the headliners at the Air Force Technical Applications Center’s inaugural Cybersecurity Awareness Day Aug. 8.
 
Maj. Gen. Matteo Martemucci, a career intelligence and cyberspace operator, and Mr. Aaron Bishop, a member of the Senior Executive Service and experienced cyber industry expert, delivered riveting presentations to AFTAC personnel about understanding and solving emerging cyber threats.
 
Martemucci’s briefing entitled, “Perspectives on Cybersecurity,” delved into artificial intelligence, election security, influence operations, and advancing technologies.
 
“You are all well aware of China’s dramatic military modernization and increasing military operations across the globe,” he said.  “The People’s Republic of China’s cyber actors conduct operations against a wide range of targets across the globe, to include the United States’ public and private sectors.  The impact of intellectual property theft via cyber-espionage at the hands of the Chinese alone is more than $600 billion per year, and in 2020, the Director of the FBI identified PRC’s cyber operations as the greatest long-term threat to U.S. national security.”
 
Martemucci also talked about a lesser known Air Force leader who he believes had a profound impact on military history, and tied it into his cyber presentation. 
 
“I want to talk about the power of innovation by telling you the story of one of the ‘Founding Fathers’ of modern Air Power, Benny Foulous,” the general said.  “It is entirely fitting, as I address this group of innovators and leaders, that I share the story of Benny – my personal hero – who was an alternative thinker, an innovator and an Army signals officer who, at a unique intersection of time, technology, and possibility, became an Airman and built the world’s most powerful Air Force.”
 
He continued, “At the beginning of the last century, the Army took delivery of an airplane that they dubbed Signal Corps #1, but they had no idea what to do with it.  So they turned to Benny and a few others to figure it out.  Benny’s creativity and innovative spirit helped the Army figure out how to operate in a brand new domain:  Air.  He didn’t consult books on doctrine or strategy because there weren’t any to consult.  Instead, Benny would fly all day and record his observations at night, and his notes were the basis for the tactics that the Army – and eventually the Air Force – would use and refine for years to come.”
 
Martemucci went on to draw parallels between what Maj. Gen. Benjamin Delahauf Foulois, aka “Benny,” faced at the turn of the 20th century, and what modern-day servicemembers currently face as cyberspace pioneers. 
 
“Today, our Airmen, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen, and Guardians are exactly where Benny was 115 years ago.  They are navigating the technical aspects of rapidly advancing technologies and wrestling with the perennial truth that policy always lags behind capability.”
 
The audience remained fixed on the general’s presentation as he transitioned from topic to topic.
 
“We need sharp, creative minds and strategic thinking leaders from across the Total Force to help us figure out how to get the most out of these converging domains,” he said.  “I, for one, look forward to the challenge.”
 
AFTAC’s robust agenda continued with Bishop’s presentation that addressed innovative approaches to cybersecurity and the importance of data protection.
 
“More often than not, the question is asked, ‘How do we accomplish the mission?’ when the better question should be, ‘How do we securely accomplish the mission?’” Bishop said.  “We must start thinking about how we are going to change, adapt, and build upon the cyber foundation we currently employ, because to be perfectly honest, the next attack is not going to be kinetic.  We must have TTPs (tactics, techniques and procedures) in place to respond to a cyber attack with resiliency and still do the job.”
 
Other guest speakers included Gary Hopewell, Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency Region 4; Tiffany Snider, NASA; Special Agent Keith Givens, FBI; Victor Alejandro and Yahari Butler, both from 16th Air Force; and Matthew Smothers, L3Harris, all who participated in several panel discussions covering a wide range of cyber-related topics.
 
“The goal of our awareness day was aimed at expanding our understanding of emerging threats we face and raising awareness about the importance of cybersecurity,” said Julio Ramos, AFTAC’s Chief Information Security Officer.  “We’re indebted to all the speakers who traveled to Central Florida to make our first cybersecurity awareness day an overwhelming success.”
 
AFTAC’s commander, Col. Creighton Mullins, amplified Ramos’ comments about the success of the program.
 
“I firmly believe that there is nothing more valuable than increasing your awareness on a subject when you hear directly from the top experts in the field,” he said.  “Each guest speaker who presented their vast experience and expert insights have not only educated our workforce, but also empowered them to develop their own best practices to address the cyber threats we face as an organization.  My task to the team here at AFTAC is to continue this tradition and expand upon what we learned from this event.”
 
Mullins also acknowledged the team who put the agenda together:  Ramos, Staff Sgt. Jadiel Vega-Vega, Marina Capuano, and Alex Ortiz Marrero.
 
“Events of this scale take an enormous amount of effort and heavy lifting to execute.  I’m so proud of the work that was undertaken to bring such distinguished visitors to the center,” the AFTAC commander said.
 
Additionally, Martemucci recognized the nuclear treaty monitoring center’s workforce that came to listen to him speak.
 
“AFTAC is one of our strongest and most competitive deterrents we have in our government,” he said.  “Continue to be a critical consumer of information to understand the nature and scale of the cyber challenges we face.  It is imperative that we are agile, cognizant, and good students as we navigate through some of the most sophisticated long-term threats to our national security.”
 
He added, “Be bold.  Be Benny.”