As sophisticated cyberattacks increasingly target national interests and critical infrastructure, it is paramount to safeguard essential systems, maintain uninterrupted operations, and ensure national security. Effectively countering these evolving threats requires a robust collaborative approach between public sector entities and private sector partners, underpinned by a comprehensive, multi-layered defense strategy that spans data, networks, endpoints, and cloud services.
MeriTalk recently sat down with Kynan Carver, senior director, cybersecurity, at Maximus, to discuss the growing cyber threat landscape, strategies for implementing multi-layered defenses, and how automation and advanced tools like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are aiding disaster response.
MeriTalk: From a national security perspective, how prevalent are significant cyber threats, and what are the primary drivers behind their apparent increase in frequency and sophistication? Furthermore, which sectors or entities are most critically impacted by these evolving threats?
Carver: Cyber threats are increasingly common and sophisticated. We’ve observed a consistent rise in attacks targeting critical national infrastructure and government entities. The inherent vulnerabilities within complex interconnected systems, especially those vital for national operations, create an environment ripe for exploitation by malicious actors. Key government agencies and essential service providers often find themselves on the front lines, facing pressure to maintain security and continuity against persistent attacks. When these vital systems are compromised, the impact can be far-reaching, affecting national capabilities and public trust. Such attacks are a significant national security concern, particularly when they target infrastructure already under stress or when they have cascading effects across interconnected local, regional, and national systems, magnifying their potential to cause widespread disruption and harm.
MeriTalk: Considering the spectrum of cyber threats to national security, what overarching strategies should be adopted to best protect critical systems and national digital infrastructure from cyberattacks and bolster overall cyber resilience?
Carver: The traditional defense-in-depth cybersecurity model remains fundamental in protecting national assets. Adopting a zero trust architecture is crucial for reinforcing this defense-in-depth mindset, especially given the sophistication of modern threats. A significant challenge lies in consistently implementing and maintaining these rigorous frameworks across diverse and often complex governmental and critical infrastructure environments. Therefore, it’s essential for national security entities to proactively integrate robust security measures into all systems and operational protocols. This includes deploying comprehensive data loss prevention tools across both on-premises and cloud infrastructures, establishing strong network security protections such as advanced firewalls, intrusion detection and prevention systems, and micro-segmentation, as well as implementing effective endpoint detection and response capabilities. End-to-end data encryption, for data both in transit and at rest, is also a critical requirement.
MeriTalk: How critical is investing in advanced technologies for bolstering national cybersecurity defenses, and what are the key emerging technologies that national security organizations should prioritize and consider integrating into their strategies?
Carver: It’s absolutely vital. The national security threat landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace, with adversaries increasingly leveraging advanced technologies like AI to execute sophisticated attacks, including disinformation campaigns and targeted intrusions. To effectively counter these threats and safeguard national interests, it’s imperative that our own national security apparatus harnesses these same advanced technologies. Deploying AI and ML within security frameworks enables security teams to rapidly analyze vast amounts of data, detect anomalous activities indicative of an attack, and identify emerging threats with greater speed and precision. Furthermore, automation and orchestration are critical in this context, streamlining complex security workflows, enabling rapid response, and significantly reducing the operational burden on cybersecurity analysts.
MeriTalk: Let’s drill down a little more on these technologies, especially AI and ML and automation and orchestration. How do these technologies work together to automate threat detection, streamline overall security operations, and improve the speed and efficiency of incident response?
Carver: The core strength of AI and ML in a national security context lies in their ability to discern anomalous activities and patterns within vast datasets, flagging potential threats rapidly for expert analysis and swift incident response. Automation then elevates this capability significantly. When AI identifies a credible threat, automated systems can execute pre-defined security protocols in real-time, often containing or mitigating the threat before human intervention is even required. For example, if AI detects a sophisticated intrusion attempt on a secure government network, automation can instantly isolate affected segments or deploy countermeasures to neutralize the attack. This synergy between AI and automation is crucial for reducing alert fatigue, dramatically improving threat response times, and optimizing operational resources within national security operations.
MeriTalk: Disaster response is often a collaborative effort. Who are the key players in responding to cyberattacks, and how do they work together to enhance defenses and respond to attacks in the moment?
Carver: It’s a broad coalition. On the government side, agencies including the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, and the National Guard play major roles. In the private sector, utilities and nongovernmental organizations like the Red Cross are also critical to response efforts. All these organizations need to be able to collaborate quickly and safely in real time, especially in fluid disaster situations. And let’s not forget the victims themselves – they also play a role. Unfortunately, many get revictimized through cyberattacks like phishing scams. Educating the public on how to avoid these scams should be part of any defense strategy.
MeriTalk: How does Maximus exemplify this collaborative approach in your work with national security agencies? What are some of the specific ways Maximus develops and implements security solutions with public sector partners?
Carver: Maximus partners with federal agencies to address complex digital transformation and cybersecurity challenges critical to national security. Our work encompasses a range of specialized services, from enhancing and managing cyber operations centers to developing secure, resilient applications that enable vital information sharing and protecting against sophisticated threats. We focus on ensuring that the nation’s essential systems are robust, secure, and always prepared to operate effectively under pressure. Whether it involves bolstering real-time secure communication capabilities or deploying hardened, mission-critical systems, Maximus is dedicated to equipping our public sector partners with the advanced capabilities and technological solutions necessary to defend against the modern, evolving cyber threat landscape and safeguard national assets.