The National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command have identified automation of some cybersecurity functions as an area they want to collaborate closer with industry on, the head of both entities told the Potomac Officers Club Thursday.
Navy Adm. Michael Rogers, NSA director and Cybercom lead, identified that element as one facet of a larger push at both organizations to not solely focus on the technological aspect of cybersecurity.
“I constantly remind people on our staff that cyber events are caused by a human with a keyboard, ” Rogers said to a public and private sector executive audience in McLean, Va.
“Our biggest challenge is in changing the culture and human behavior.”
The 34-year Navy veteran was the first speaker for the POC’s Fall 2015 Cybersecurity Summit, a half-day event for government and contracting executives to discuss the current cyber environment in both the public and private sectors and ways to collaborate in the network security arena.
Rogers, who started his dual NSA and Cybercom roles in Spring 2014, also pointed to the flow of information as an area he wants businesses to participate in and offer potential insights on.
Rogers said collaboration is key in a world where users and organizations learn what he called “painful lessons” on the adversaries and potentially damaging tools in cyberspace.
“We’re aiming to impose a higher price on our information and make it more difficult for opponents, ” Rogers said.
“Cybersecurity is the ultimate team sport… no single technology will fix the problem.”
