U.S. Cyber Command is aiming to develop its acquisition group and depend on versatile shopping for methods as CYBERCOM turns into a focus of cyber procurement within the Protection Division.
The command was initially granted restricted acquisition authority in fiscal 2016, with 10 billets and $75 million in shopping for authority over 5 years. Congress has since lifted the command’s spending limitations and restrictions.
Courtney Maggiulli, this system government officer for cyber, J9 acquisition and expertise at CYBERCOM, mentioned her PEO is aiming so as to add 50 billets this yr.
“So we’re staffing up for a proper sized and prepared workforce, and it’s a fairly thrilling place,” Maggiulli mentioned on the CYBERCOM authorized convention final week.
Earlier this yr, the command was additionally designated as a federal laboratory. The designation provides CYBERCOM extra authorities to work with trade and academia on expertise analysis. Moreover, it additionally has “enhanced budgetary management,” that means it has a larger say in how DoD makes choices about cyber applications and investments.
“So we’re increasing our means to amass cyber items, cyber companies for the DoD in an built-in and holistic approach,” Maggiulli mentioned.
And CYBERCOM can also be constructing out a program workplace to supervise and combine the “Joint Cyber Warfighting Structure,” a collective time period for the cyber services used throughout the navy companies by the 133-team Cyber Mission Pressure.
“Integration is essential, as a result of issues are altering day by day,” Maggiulli mentioned. “And we have now to be unified. We convey collectively the perfect in breed of all of the completely different instrument capabilities. And most significantly, it’s the expertise of the individuals throughout the companies as nicely.”
However because it builds out its acquisition program, Maggiulli mentioned CYBERCOM is acutely conscious it might probably’t depend on the normal DoD acquisition system to purchase and combine new cyber capabilities.
“The cyber area is completely different,” she mentioned. “It’s quick, it’s fast. So we don’t have the flexibility to take the time that you’d usually put into constructing a tank or a fighter jet or placing up a satellite tv for pc in 10 years. We don’t have 10 years to attend.”
She pointed to the command’s early collaboration with the Protection Innovation Unit to acquire “Hunt Ahead” cyber mission kits utilizing DIU’s prototyping course of. DIU usually makes use of Different Transaction Agreements that aren’t ruled by the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
“We’re dedicated by way of what our lab is doing and thru our groups of pros after which by way of our partnerships with people like DIU to rising that innovation on the command,” Maggiulli mentioned.
CYBERCOM can also be leaning on DoD’s Adaptive Acquisition Framework to tailor its procurement methods for the cyber area.
Maggiulli referenced each the software program acquisition pathway and the center tier of acquisition pathway as “allowable methods to pursue acquisition which have methods which are extra responsive and tailor-made to the kinds of acquisitions we’re doing.” The software program pathway makes use of agile growth and DevSecOps practices, whereas the middle-tier authority is used to rapidly prototype and discipline new capabilities.
“We’re being given flexibilities and instruments by Congress that enable us to be quicker and extra responsive for the kind of acquisition we’re doing with cyber,” Maggiulli mentioned.
A key facet of CYBERCOM’s acquisition ambitions will probably be coaching and empowering its rising acquisition workforce, she added. The command is utilizing coaching applications by way of Protection Acquisition College to construct an schooling and tradition round what Maggiulli hopes is a inventive acquisition program.
“It’s not a stodgy and antiquated and outdated acquisition mannequin that we would like individuals to return in with,” she mentioned. “We actually wish to leverage these instruments that we’ve been given with a workforce that is aware of the right way to use them strategically and successfully.”
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