DISA director emphasizes cybersecurity imperatives and industry collaboration

By Marco A. Villasana Jr., DISA Office of Strategic Communication and Public Affairs

The United States Department of Defense has a pressing need for enhanced cybersecurity measures and innovative solutions that counter emerging threats and safeguard networks, says United States Air Force Lt. Gen. Robert J. Skinner, Defense Information Systems Agency director and Joint Force Headquarters-DOD Information Network commander.

Speaking to an audience of military and industry leaders at the 2024 Department of the Air Force Information Technology & Cyberpower Conference, Skinner underscored the importance of optimizing operations and industry collaboration to secure the nation’s cyber landscape in the coming years.

“Statistics highlight why we do what we do,” Skinner began. "In 2026, the U.S. is expected to spend over $300 billion on artificial intelligence. In the last year, data breaches have risen 72%. 10 years ago, the cost of a data breach was about $6, today it’s about $10.6 million. The cost of cybercrime in 2026 is expected to exceed $10 trillion. Thirty thousand websites are packed each and every day. There’s about a four million shortage of cybersecurity professionals worldwide." These figures, Skinner argued, underline the critical need for the DOD to stay ahead in the cyber domain, especially given the rising costs and threats of cybercrime.

He recounted a recent incident where a Chinese think tank analyzed an architectural drawing of DISA’s Thunderdome project, explaining how adversaries are constantly watching and learning. “They are trying to get an advantage. That’s why it’s imperative that we continue to foster partnerships, both internal and external, to optimize our force.”

Regarding JFHQ-DODIN’s priorities, Skinner outlined three key lines of effort: battlespace awareness, protection and partnerships. He stressed the importance of understanding the "blue space" — DOD networks and assets — saying, “We have significant capabilities with the National Security Agency and others in the intelligence community understanding the red space [adversaries]. I want an even better understanding of the blue space. So, your help in helping us drive that is very important.”

Skinner also addressed ongoing efforts to protect the DODIN by controlling access, particularly at internet access points. He acknowledged that the department has not moved quickly enough in implementing Comply-to-Connect protocols, with only 50-60% of the environment utilizing these measures. “That’s not enough. We’ve got to be able to control access. That's the forward edge of the battlespace. Defining the standards and then assessing to those standards is where we are driving over the next six months.”

On the DISA front, Skinner discussed the agency’s four strategic imperatives, focusing on creating a unified warfighting environment. He emphasized the need to eliminate technical debt and improve transport capabilities across the DOD’s global network. “We have two million miles of DOD transport globally that DISA manages each day.” He asked for help in increasing that capacity and capability, especially in areas it’s not currently reaching. These future expansions include investing in satellite and space communication. "One thing we're working right now with SpaceX is, how do we bring Starlink into our teleports? Then it can come straight into our DISN, into DOD, so we can leverage their capacity and capability, but also bring it into the family."

Skinner also touched on the importance of identity management and Zero Trust principles as the foundation of DISA's cybersecurity strategy. He mentioned ongoing efforts to integrate enterprise identity solutions across the DOD, stating, "Identity is at the heart of Zero Trust, at the heart of what we are doing."

As the keynote drew to a close, Skinner directed attention to artificial intelligence. “Don’t bring an AI solution that’s just AI in general, that doesn't help me. What does help me is, ‘here's your particular problem, and here's how we think AI can help and support that,’” he said. In particular, Skinner called on industry to bring forward AI solutions tailored to two problems: speeding up the civilian hiring process and streamlining the Risk Management Framework. “We want to go faster.”

Finally, Skinner reiterated the need for better critical thinking across the board. “The problems we’re running into and are going to run into aren't getting any easier. They’re getting more complex. So how can we bring more expertise from industry to drive better critical thinking? I would even say at the undergraduate level, graduate level and the master level. So that's my ask to industry, is continue driving forth on critical thinking and see where we can improve.”

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