CIA Adapts to Cyber Reality
January 5, 2017
It would be quite the understatement to say the Internet had drastically changed the spy business. The evolution comes with its ups and downs, we learn from the article, “CIA Cyber Official Sees Data Flood as Both Godsend and Danger” at the Stars and Stripes. Reporter Nafeesa Syeed cites an interview with Sean Roche, the CIA’s associate deputy director for digital innovation. The article informs us:
A career CIA official, Roche joined the agency’s new Directorate for Digital Innovation, which opened in October, after serving as deputy director for science and technology.[…]
Roche’s division was the first directorate the CIA added in half a century. His responsibilities include updating the agency’s older systems, which aren’t compatible with current technology and in some cases can’t even accommodate encryption. The directorate also combined those handling the agency’s information technology and internet systems with the team that monitors global cyber threats. ‘We get very good insights into what the cyber actors are doing and we stop them before they get to our door,’ Roche said.
Apparently, finding tech talent has not been a problem for the high-profile agency. In fact, Syeed tells us, many agents who had moved on to the IT industry are returning, in senior positions, armed with their cyber experience. Much new talent is also attracted by the idea of CIA caché. Roche also asserts he is working to boost ethnic diversity in the CIA by working with organizations that encourage minorities to pursue work in technical fields. What a good, proactive idea! Perhaps Roche would consider also working with groups that promote gender equity in STEM fields.
In case you are curious, Roche’s list of the top nations threatening our cybersecurity includes Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. No surprises there.
Cynthia Murrell, January 5, 2017
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