In what felt like coordinated attacks last Friday, data-wiping malware (masquerading as ransomware) hit Ukrainian government organizations and was quickly followed by an aggressive unattributed cyber attack on Ukrainian government sites. The attacks prompted the release of a CISA Insights Bulletin urging U.S. organizations to strengthen their cybersecurity defenses. 

The White House announced that the President has signed National Security Memorandum (NSM) 8, “Improving the Cybersecurity of National Security, Department of Defense and Intelligence Community Systems.” The Memorandum provides the Director of the NSA, General Paul M. Nakasone, in his role as the National Manager for National Security Systems (NSS), with enhanced insight and authorities to better safeguard networks across the U.S. Government that contain classified information or are otherwise critical to military and intelligence activities.

The 19 January 2022 OODA Salon featured Dr. Jennifer Buss, CEO of the Potomac Institute.

Dr. Buss is a long term friend and OODA network member who has contributed insight to the greater national security community for years. As leader of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies, she guides an organization with a stellar reputation for S&T policy research. The institute identifies and leads discussions on S&T and national security issues facing our society, providing an academic forum to enable evidence based recommendations.

Once again, we present to you the annual OODA Almanac which is intended to be a quirky forecasting of themes that the OODA Network think will be emergent in 2022. Our 2021 Almanac had some great frameworks for understanding the year ahead with lots of compelling insights. The theme for this year is surviving and thriving in an age of exponential disruption. It seems that everything is getting disrupted; national security, economic security, technology, culture and media. New ideas are old and old ideas are new. Here’s our take for 2022.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is holding virtual mini-Industry Day events throughout this year. These events will allow CISA and industry to have meaningful discussions about cybersecurity capabilities, challenges, top priorities, requirements, and technologies as well as future business opportunities. The first Virtual Mini-Industry Day will be Wednesday, January 26, at 10 a.m. (EST).