In this SC Media perspectives piece, Dr. David Mussington, CISSP DDN.QTE makes a strong case for a standards-first, layered “drone wall” that fuses multi-sensor AI, SAPIENT interoperability, and non-kinetic + attritable effects to defend at scale — a practical way to bend the cost curve against mass UAS attacks. The Alliance, he writes, can field this now by networking existing sensors, enforcing interfaces, and training together.

Hosted by the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology (ICIT) and co sponsored by Rocket Software and MFGS, Inc., “The Future of Government Data, AI Automation & Mission-Ready Modernization” brought together distinguished figures from the defense-focused public and private sectors.

In a recent conversation hosted by the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology (ICIT), Cory Simpson, CEO of ICIT, welcomed Barry Mainz, CEO of Forescout Technologies, to discuss the pressing need to modernize and secure the nation’s critical infrastructure.

We live in a representative democracy—where the people in Washington work for you. While the inner workings of D.C. can feel distant, complex, even outdated, they must be understood because they shape how America safeguards its interests and advances our way of life.

The first test of a leader is presence. People may not remember the exact words you use, but they remember how your presence made them feel—steady, seen, or supported. That signal sets the tone in every setting, from the workplace to the family table. I’ve felt it in courtrooms, combat zones, and countless rooms where steadiness mattered most. In those moments, leadership was presence—grounded in preparation, steadied under pressure, and sharpened by focus, all sustained thro

The first test of a leader is presence. People may not remember the exact words you use, but they remember how your presence made them feel—steady, seen, or supported. That signal sets the tone in every setting, from the workplace to the family table. I’ve felt it in courtrooms, combat zones, and countless rooms where steadiness mattered most. In those moments, leadership was presence—grounded in preparation, steadied under pressure, and sharpened by focus, all sustained thro

The “quantum-age” refers to a near-future moment when quantum computers begin to reshape fields, from drug discovery and logistics to national defense and cryptography. Unlike classical computers, which solve problems step by step—like trying every key on a lock one at a time—quantum systems can evaluate many possibilities simultaneously.

American strength was shaped by geography. Oceans gave us insulation. Distance gave us time. And that shaped how we prepared for risk: we built defenses, not resilience. Cyberspace shattered that distance. It collapses distance, bypasses borders, and connects everything instantly. The advantages of geography no longer apply. What once shielded us—oceans, borders, early warning—is now irrelevant. In this domain, the United States is no fortress. It’s a glass house.

LiDAR is central to modern infrastructure, supporting transportation, logistics, and public safety. As foreign-controlled components enter critical systems, sourcing becomes a national security concern. This article outlines why trusted technologies matter, how Representative Dusty Johnson’s legislation addresses the threat, and what Congress can do to protect the systems that support and connect the American public.

Military installations are vital to both national security and daily life for service members and their families. As they become more connected to civilian infrastructure, they face growing cyber threats. This commentary highlights the need for the Department of Defense to strengthen cyber-physical security, close governance gaps, and adopt a people-centered approach to resilience and mission readiness.

What many Americans consider basic—reliable electricity, clean water, safe roads—was never a given. But the communities I knew were strong, resilient, and equally deserving of the same foundation every American family needs. That foundation is infrastructure. It’s the warm water before school, the lights after a storm, the signal that connects a doctor to a patient. It’s what holds opportunity in place. It’s one of the most powerful ways a country invests in its people and p

They weren’t weak or broken. They were warriors—friends I trusted with my life. Friends who carried weight with strength and grace. Friends who gave all in service to something greater. Their loss stays with us—a call to lead in ways that stretch people toward strength, protect their purpose, and honor their sacrifice through how we carry forward.

Cyberattacks can now compromise critical infrastructure faster than humans can perceive or respond. As adversaries grow more sophisticated and the cost of disruption rises, human-led defenses alone are no longer sufficient.

Cyberattacks are targeting the infrastructure we rely on every day—hospitals, power grids, supply chains. The Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act of 2015 (CISA 2015) enables private companies and the federal government to share threat data quickly and safely. With the law set to expire in September, reauthorization is critical to protect national security and keep Americans safe.

As the Trump administration refines its cybersecurity, resilience, and critical infrastructure security strategies—most recently through its June 2025 Executive Order amending EO 14144 and EO 13694—it continues to build upon the vision laid out in the 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy (NCS), the most comprehensive articulation to date of how the U.S. government (USG) aims to secure our digital future.

The September 2024 dismantling of the Flax Typhoon botnet — a campaign involving 200,000 devices targeting U.S. and global critical infrastructure — demonstrates how the government can protect critical infrastructure with law enforcement capabilities, using the judicial process to disrupt attacks on infrastructure without military power.

The United States is under relentless cyber assault. This is not a distant or hypothetical threat—it’s a silent, ongoing campaign targeting our economy and critical infrastructure. Our adversaries, once content with stealing secrets, are now embedding persistent access, establishing beachheads inside the very systems that keep our country running.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is frequently portrayed as a disruptive force with the potential to revolutionize industries, optimize workflows, and enhance decision-making in ways that were often seen as unattainable. While this perspective highlights AI’s impact, it overlooks a fundamental reality. AI is still software at its core—it runs on code, processes data, and operates within an infrastructure like other enterprise systems.

Creating a compelling business case to invest in software resilience is more about economics than risk probability. The primary message for stakeholders is that eliminating and reducing defects in the software as it is assembled and modified increases productivity for software developers.

Navigating Uncertainty in Government Cloud Security As federal agencies enter 2025, they face an increasingly volatile cybersecurity landscape, with state-sponsored threat actors—particularly from China—mounting persistent and sophisticated attacks against critical infrastructure. The evolving threat environment underscores the urgent need for cyber resilience, as advocated by the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology (ICIT) through its 4 Rs of Digital Resilience.