Last week, Axonius Federal Systems hosted its first Federal Forum in Washington D.C., including cybersecurity leaders from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), The White House Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and partners from the private sector. The following is a recap of Adapt 2023.
Setting the Stage with Tom Kennedy
Tom Kennedy, Vice President of Axonius Federal Systems served as the emcee of the day, welcoming attendees and introducing speakers. Adapt 2023, the first annual conference from Axonius, brought together United States federal agency cybersecurity leaders and partners from the private sector to network, learn, and see how their peers are addressing challenges.
Opening Keynote with Nick Degnan
Axonius SVP of Global Sales Nick Degnan kicked off the event with a keynote focused on what he's heard from Axonius federal government customers around the challenges they face managing and securing assets in dynamic, large-scale environments. When agencies are able to get a full understanding of their devices, users, software, SaaS applications, and security controls, every initiative - from IT hygiene to GRC - becomes more effective and efficient.
Applying the National Cybersecurity Strategy to Real-World Challenges with John Curran and Anjana Rajan
We were incredibly fortunate to welcome Anjana Rajan, Assistant National Cyber Director for Technology Security at The White House, Office of the National Cyber Director (ONCD) in an interview with John Curran, Executive Editor at MeriTalk. A cryptographer by training, technology executive and entrepreneur, a former elite triathlete who raced for Team USA at two World Championships, and cellist who currently plays with the Avanti Symphony Orchestra in Washington D.C, Anjana is high in the ranking for Most Interesting Person in the World.
During the interview, Anjana gave tangible, real-world examples of applying the National Cybersecurity Strategy to open-source software, artificial intelligence, space, the global supply chain, and more. Coverage of Anjana's panel can be found on MeriTalk: ONCD Launching Cyber Roadshow Focused on Space Sector. To hear Anjana on another recent panel, check out Fireside Chat: The National Cyber Strategy and Evolving Cyber Priorities from GovCIO.
Securing SaaS Applications with Chris Hughes, Shawnte Singletary, and Dean Sysman
I had the opportunity to moderate a panel on securing SaaS applications with Chris Hughes, Co-founder and Chief Information Security Officer at Aquia, Shawnte Singletary, Deputy Director for the Division of Security and Policy at Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and Dean Sysman, Co-founder and CEO at Axonius.
Starting from each panelist's definition of SaaS Management, the panel then covered:
- SaaS Spend vs IaaS - How SaaS spending has overtaken spend on IaaS, yet the investment in SaaS security is barely a fraction.
- Tool Sprawl - Understanding different approaches to managing and securing SaaS including SSPM, SPM, CASB, CAASM, and where the market is going.
- SaaS Compliance - How agencies like CMS address SaaS compliance, and how the agency is setting the example for federal agencies.
Known Unknowns: Identify Missing Logs and Demystify M-21-31 with Brian 'Stretch' Meyer, Dave Dalling, Daniel Flanders, and Joe Kim
Next was a panel on M-21-31 - a clear directive for federal agencies to advance logging capabilities, including log retention and management, “with a focus on ensuring centralized access and visibility for the highest-level enterprise security operations center (SOC) of each agency.”
Brian 'Stretch' Meyer, Senior Director of Federal Sales Engineering at Axonius Federal Systems, moderated the conversation with Dave Dalling, Cyber Chief Technology Officer at Accenture Federal Services, Daniel Flanders, Senior Solutions Engineer at Splunk, and Joe Kim, Chief Technology Officer at
Squadra Solutions.
The CISA Strategy – What It Means in 2023 with Tim Starks and CISA Director Jen Easterly
In late 2022, CISA released its first strategic plan, outlining a unified approach to ensuring secure and resilient critical infrastructure for the American people. In part one of a two-part closing panel, Tim Starks, Cybersecurity 202 author at The Washington Post, interviewed Jen Easterly, Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
Read more about the interview and the "Secure by Design" approach on MeriTalk at Easterly: Secure-by-Design Aims to Drive Down Vulnerabilities and U.S. launches secure software push with new guidelines by Tim Starks at Washington Post.
Thank You Adapt 2023 Speakers and Attendees
We want to thank everyone who took the time to contribute, speak, and attend the first-ever Axonius Federal Forum. We know how valuable your time is, and we truly appreciate your participation. For more information about Axonius and how we help federal agencies control complexity, request a demo below.
