On this week’s Cyber Report, Maj. Gen. Gregg Potter, US Army Ret., Northrop Grumman’s lead corporate executive for Fort Meade and Aberdeen Proving Ground, discusses the unique requirements and operating environment associated with offensive and defense operations in the Army cyber force with Defense & Aerospace Report Editor Vago Muradian.
On the US Army’s cyber challenges:
Potter said the Army — which is more spread out and operates in smaller units than other services — faces two specific challenges:
1. Outfitting the cyber force with the tools they need: “That’s a big focus for the Army right now,” Potter said. “As they stood up the cyber force, it was all about staffing that force. Now it’s about making sure they have the tools and capabilities to do their job.”
2. Big data: “When you’re talking about the volume of information that, certainly the defenders of our networks have to deal with on a daily basis, it’s huge,” Potter said. The Army needs to provide analysts with the AI and data science needed to process big data and connect disparate databases, he said.
On Army cyber training:
All Army soldiers, not just incoming cadets, are trained in the cyber field at the US Army Cyber Center of Excellence in Georgia, Potter explained. “It’s a continuing education of the force to make sure leaders at all levels understand the cyber domain and how to leverage it, certainly commanders. Cyber is a tool in their kit bag to be able to respond to threats.”
On digital natives:
Potter said he thinks younger soldiers have an advantage over older soldiers in cyber training, because they understand the digital space. “A lot of them are coders at night, so they can do that, too,” Potter said.
The Cyber Report and our cyber coverage are sponsored by Northrop Grumman.
