Register for the Workloads at the Tactical Edge Forum and catch the most esteemed leaders discussing how to reshape the modern military landscape through data-driven decision-making in a zero-trust environment.
The government relies on robust IT and digital solutions to enhance its capabilities in defending the homeland and civilians from cyber threats.
Government departments, such as the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), are at the forefront of engineering and deploying zero-trust infrastructure to promote data-driven decision-making tactics in the military environment.
La’Naia Jones, Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the CIA, is one of the distinguished leaders actively involved in reshaping cyber-physical solutions and other IT infrastructure relevant to national security.
Get to know more about her professional journey and role at the Potomac Officers Club’s (POC) Workloads at the Tactical Edge Forum.
Who is La’Naia Jones?
The Central Intelligence Agency welcomed La’Naia Jones as its Chief Information Officer in March 2022. She is responsible for the agency’s IT-related personnel management, systems development, and global communications networks. She leverages her comprehensive experience, leadership, technical expertise, and strategic partnerships to fulfill her duties.
In just two years, La’Naia Jones’s works have been paramount to the intelligence communities’ efforts to manage massive influxes of data. One of her contributions to the industry was shared in a 2022 GovConWire interview. Ms. Jones said that having the ability to harness this onslaught of data will be the “next big milestone” for the intelligence community.
Consequently, she highlighted that such massive data could either be beneficial or detrimental to the federal government. That said, Ms. Jones shared that the CIA has expanded its cybersecurity efforts to cover the whole enterprise.
As a part of the 15-year-long C2E contract, the CIA is continuing to utilize cloud services, artificial intelligence, and machine learning (AI/ML), and other cognitive tools to bolster security and mitigate adversaries.
About the Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency, sometimes referred to as the Agency or the Company, is the United States civilian foreign intelligence service responsible for collecting, processing, and interpreting global information relevant to national security.
Hailed as the US’ first line of defense, the Central Intelligence Agency is anchored on grit and ingenuity. It utilizes human intelligence (HUMINT) and covert action through its Directorate of Operations to process the intelligence it gathers. This information is vital for the federal government to make crucial policy decisions.
Related article: CIA & Military Leaders Talk Innovation & Tech at the Tactical Edge
La’Naia Jones’ Professional Journey
La’Naia Jones has worked for the federal sector for more than 20 years. She jumpstarted her career in 2002 after she graduated from university in 2001, the same year the US fell victim to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
The attacks prompted Ms. Jones to serve and protect the nation by joining the national security domain. Since then, she has been pivotal in improving the Intelligence Community’s IT capabilities, becoming one of the most trusted figures in technological development and IT initiatives.
Outlined below are the previous work experiences of La’Naia Jones:
- Technology Expert at the National Security Agency, from September 2002 to August 2009
- Technical Director and IT Manager at the National Security Agency, from September 2009 to May 2017
- Chief of Utility Cloud Services at the National Security Agency, from April 2015 to April 2016
- Chief of Enterprise Transformation & Service Transition at the National Security Agency, from May 2017 to June 2018
- Deputy Chief Information Officer for the Intelligence Community at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, from June 2018 to June 2020
- Acting Chief Information Officer for the Intelligence Community at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, from June 2020 to October 2020
- Deputy Chief Information Officer and Information Sharing & Safeguarding Executive at the National Security Agency, from October 2020 to February 2022
La’Naia Jones, Closing Keynote Speaker at the Workloads at the Tactical Edge Forum
Did you know that the Workloads at the Tactical Edge Forum is a must-attend summit by the Potomac Officers Club? Click here to become an official member and get access to exclusive content.
La’Naia Jones is one of the speakers at the Workloads at the Tactical Edge Forum, a Potomac Officers Club summit scheduled on February 8, 2024, and set to take place in Falls Church, Virginia.
Ms. Jones will deliver the closing keynote speech and will be introduced by Dr. Mark Linderman, Chief Scientist at the Information Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory. You wouldn’t want to miss the Workloads at the Tactical Edge Forum, as it will feature esteemed industry leaders such as Bill Burnham, Brandon Gulla, Tricia Fitzmaurice, Paul Smith, Jason Hunter, David Ellis, and Peter Tseronis.
You might also want to read: 3 Ways IARPA Is Addressing Cyber Threats Across the Intelligence Community
