Story by Matt Wright, Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency
The Center for Development of Security Excellence (CDSE), part of the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), led a discussion on training and insider threat professionalization and conducted a breakout session at the inaugural Insider Threat Analyst Forum at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel in Arlington, Va., on April 8 and 9.
The event, hosted by DCSA’s DOD Insider Threat Management and Analysis Center (DITMAC), engaged nearly 160 attendees from over 30 DOD and government insider threat components.
“Bringing together this incredible group of professionals is an opportunity that is long overdue,” said DCSA Director David M. Cattler. “Insider Threat is a team sport, and I recognize the critical role we all play in building trust through our partnership each and every day while ensuring our National Security and helping to keep people safe.”
Cattler emphasized how the insider threat program can enable personnel to detect a potential threat, intervene early, and get the individual help they might need and said, “That makes the mission an incredibly stronger partner and force-multiplier for many leaders across the total force.”
CDSE is a premier provider of security training and a nationally accredited education center within DCSA, ensuring training, education, and certification for the defense security enterprise under the National Industrial Security Program.
During the two-day event, CDSE’s insider threat curriculum manager, Amber D. Jackson, and instructional systems designer, Stephen P. Ransdell, held a breakout session focused on a training needs analysis of insider threat courses conducted at CDSE. Discussions centered on topics such as threat detection methodologies and the role of technology in insider threat mitigation.
The Insider Threat Analyst Forum provided a platform for participants to share insights and lessons learned from the field of insider threat analysis. They had the opportunity to participate in the training needs analysis by completing surveys and answering questions posted around the room, allowing them to give their honest feedback on current insider threat offerings.
“We want to talk with [people] directly, these are the people that take our training. A lot of people don’t understand CDSE, so we should always make an effort to be present at a lot of these functions, so they do know that there is some training there,” said Jackson. “We want to hear what people are actually dealing with, so we can be accurate. We don’t want to deploy anything that is outdated.”
CDSE provides development, delivery, and the exchange of security knowledge to ensure a high-performing workforce capable of addressing the nation’s security challenges.
Rebecca Morgan, Senior Advisor at CDSE, addressed insider threat professionalization’s current and future state during her presentation and asked attendees if they were prepared to combat non-traditional insider threats and to understand and develop the skills to counter them.
Though its partnership with DITMAC, CDSE works to equip analysts with training, resources, and expertise needed to effectively identify, assess, and mitigate insider risks and remains committed to professionalization and safeguarding our nation’s most valuable assets.
“We have to learn to combat the insider threats of today, not yesterday,” said Morgan.
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