Author Archives: Marv Langston

Time to Fix DoD Acquisition and Ensure Cybersecurity!

Now that we have a new administration readying to transform the Executive Branch, it is the right time to reverse decades of inefficient DoD acquisition! Because cyber vulnerabilities are pervasive, today’s acquisition challenges are even more complex than the challenges of twenty years ago.  If … Continue reading

Posted in Cybersecurity, DoD IT Acquisition | Tagged , , | 35 Comments

Slow Change… Slow Humans!

As I clean up the 24 inches of snow delivered by Blizzard Jonas it is easy to ponder our human vulnerabilities. Amazingly, our weather prediction systems are so accurate that Jonas was detailed almost perfectly for all to avoid and survive. We humans … Continue reading

Posted in Global Perspectives, Technology Evolution | Tagged , | 5 Comments

DoD’s Fatal Cybersecurity Flaw

“In today’s globalized world… …this approach couldn’t be more ill conceived!” The DoD currently attempts to mitigate cyber threats through onerous certification processes and drawn-out acquisition decision and implementation timelines. In today’s world plagued with cyber criminals and dedicated state sponsored cyber … Continue reading

Posted in Cybersecurity, DoD IT Acquisition | 10 Comments

It’s Time to Change Navy’s Tactical IT Game!

From the first military use of computers until the late 1980s, military computers were designed and built from the circuit board up. This included designing the instruction set architecture (ISA) that operated the computer’s primary functions. As a young military officer, part of … Continue reading

Posted in DoD IT Acquisition, Technology Evolution | 14 Comments

Time to Stop Measuring Inputs and Deliver IT Capability!

“…the result is institutionalized processes that prevent IT acquisitions from fully meeting operational needs while failing to defend against peer-capable cyber security threats!” Measuring inputs does not equal effective outputs! It is difficult to measure the output success of a military system acquisition … Continue reading

Posted in DoD IT Acquisition, Leadership, Technology Evolution | 32 Comments

Can DoD Get Out of It’s Cyber-IT Rut?

Pacing modern IT services is critical to the DoD in the face of peer cyber competitors. The future of U.S. military deterrence will depend up our ability to provide effective IT services while preventing cyber attacks. Continue reading

Posted in Cybersecurity, DoD IT Acquisition | 14 Comments

Is DoD an Information Intensive Organization?

Unlike banks, security brokers, insurance companies and other information intensive organizations (IIOs), the military is not generally considered to be an IIO. Information intensive organizations routinely spend 20% of annual budget on IT products and support. In 2014 the U.S. … Continue reading

Posted in DoD IT Acquisition, Technology Evolution | 12 Comments

Man and Machine: Our Integrated Future

Eight weeks ago I walked into a San Diego, CA hospital to undergo elective surgery to repair two leaky valves in my otherwise healthy heart. My leaky heart valves were discovered following a 2012 ski trip, where the high altitude … Continue reading

Posted in Global Perspectives, Technology Evolution | 17 Comments

Cyber-Security On the Global Playing Field

“…state and non-state actors have demonstrated that acts of cyber-crime, cyber-terrorism, and cyber-warfare will continue to be increasingly disruptive threats to our complex lives…” A couple of months ago I spoke on the subject of cyber-threats to a small evening … Continue reading

Posted in Cybersecurity, Global Perspectives | 10 Comments

We Won’t Get What We Don’t Measure!

“…sustaining exaggerated acquisition timelines in the name of good public stewardship has become an embarrassing National failure.”   In my opinion there are two primary issues damaging our Nation’s future defenses! Loss of technical superiority – bureaucratic acquisition processes are … Continue reading

Posted in DoD IT Acquisition, Technology Evolution | 15 Comments