Cybersecurity efforts at a federal agency, while managed from the inside, must be designed to reduce vulnerability far outside the walls of a government building. As citizens, “This is our future, our livelihood, our personal information, our personal and national security that’s at risk,” says Mr. Jay McCargo, President and CEO of ARServices.
Cybersecurity is a “zero defects type of business,” said McCargo. Recently, Mr. McCargo shared best practices and specific examples from the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) programs focused on Asset Management and Asset Visibility. We had the chance to continue our conversation with more examples of existing cybersecurity programs, this time at the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) and the Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board (DNFSB).
ARServices has a twenty-three year history of supporting DTRA and its predecessor agencies, the Defense Nuclear Agency and the On-Site Inspection Agency. Although the work at DTRA is classified, McCargo was able to share an “Informed level of generalization” by advising on the specialized engineering and programmatic support that federal agencies need to address cybersecurity threats while meeting government requirements.
At the DNFSB, a DoD agency that performs an oversight role for the Department of Energy’s nuclear activities, McCargo’s firm has formed a new relationship focused on reducing risk and delivering service focused on being responsive and agile. “In my opinion, federal government does a great job of providing the kind of leadership that understands …risks and contingencies…” said McCargo. “It is the contractor’s responsibility to have program teams with the functional knowledge specific to an agency to support the government’s view.”
To hear more about how agencies can think clearly and plan effectively to ensure their cybersecurity program is successful, listen to the podcast below.