Whose job is it to protect and defend government networks? Sounds like a simple question, but it’s really not, said James Richberg, deputy national intelligence manager for cyber in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence. In fact, the lack of a comprehensive national security initiative means that “something seemingly simple like guarding the network becomes so complicated to carry out,” he said last week at AFA’s CyberFutures Conference. He made the analogy to buying a plot of land and then going down to the hardware store to buy supplies to build a house without blueprints. “Why are we still playing whack-a-mole with cyber threats and trying to figure out fundamental questions such as whose job is it to guard our networks?” Richberg asked.
The Space Force is preparing for significant growth to its procurement budget in fiscal 2027, and the head of the service’s largest acquisition organization said April 14 he is asking companies to invest now in facilities and production capacity so they’re ready to execute when called upon.