Margaret Smith, Ph.D.’s Post

Sunflowers for #Ukraine and the #NATOPublicForum 🌻 Excited to see GEN Cavoli and Jens Stoltebberg speak and to listen to panels on European security and the war on Ukraine. #NATOSummit #IstandwithUkraine #alliespartnersfriends

Three cheers for my friend Jason C. Moyer's recommendations for DC sights to hit up if you are coming to town for the #NATOSummit this week in #WashingtonDC. The #Netherlands Carillion is one of the most beautiful places in the area and offers an incredible view of our capital city. I would add #ArlingtonMemorialCemetery to his list - it's adjacent to the Netherlands Carillion and is a solemn reminder of what the #NATO alliance means and what's at stake.

July is bustling with conferences, and here's one more to add to your calendar! The Irregular Warfare Initiative is co-hosting the "Intelligence & the Changing Landscape of Irregular Warfare" conference on July 17-18, promising an awesome event. Why should you attend? Check out the program, especially the second topic on the list: CYBERsecurity! It's exciting to see cybersecurity taking the spotlight at this event. Often overlooked in discussions on Irregular Warfare, cybersecurity plays a crucial role in the development and functionality of the technology we use in combat. Understanding the intricate web of systems is vital for effective warfighting. Don't miss the chance to delve deeper into this crucial aspect at the conference! Register here: https://lnkd.in/ga7zUCtC #IrregularWarfare #Cybersecurity #Conference #Defense #Technology #Warfighting #IWICyber Special Operations Association of America

Who doesn't love a good story?! We all do! And chances are, when we tell a tale, we exaggerate a bit to improve the story, to make a stronger point, or to add some color. But what happens when hyperbole is used to discuss the impact of a cyber attack? Discover the unique insights in the latest release from the Irregular Warfare Initiative's Project Cyber. PhD candidate Tom Johansmeyer investigates hyperbole's role in public announcements on cyber attacks. He challenges the popular (and some academic) opinion that NotPetya is the most costly cyber attack in recent history. Tom's unique perspective, drawn from his background in insurance and assessing cyber risk, makes him particularly adept at explaining hyperbole's role in understanding and categorizing catastrophic cyber incidents and what it may mean for our willingness to employ offensive cyber capabilities. #keepwarfareirregular #irregularwarfareinitiative #IWI #cyberwarfare Jacqueline Davenport Kyle Atwell Shawna Sinnott Guido Torres Janna Mantua, PhD Jennifer Walters Benjamin Jebb Laura Jones Rick Newton, PhD Sam Winter-Levy Andrew Maher Agustin “Augie” D. Eric Hanson Jacob Ware Lisa Munde Tobias Bernard Switzer

Twenty years ago, I started basic training at Fort Jackson, SC. That's right, I'm 20 today! On June 24, 2004, I enlisted at the Salt Lake City MEPS, found a good home for my cat, Jack, packed up my things, and said goodbye to civilian life as a 24-year-old college dropout. During basic, Ronal Reagan died, I got stung by yellow jackets in the field, my mattress got tossed out the second-story barracks window, and I performed dying cockroaches at 3 AM. My boots were shiny (a pointless endeavor), and I had two sets of PTs - the old marshmallows and the new IPFU. I was miserable. We were told we'd deploy within a year of reaching our first duty stations. What had I done to myself?!? My first few years in the Army were tough - I spent a year deployed to Iraq (pictured below - note I was deployed in all three colors of camo in circulation at that time, from BDUs to desert cam to ASU, hahaha, good times. My Drill Sergeants were right; I deployed three months after getting to my first duty station), I had few, if any, friends, felt totally out of place, hated going to the field and firing weapons, and bemoaned the naive choice I'd made on the promise of "money for college." But I had an awesome CSM and met amazing women and men who believed in me. Slowly, my irritation over my snap-decision to enlist became a motivation to get what I'd come for - education. And I kept going - the Army has supported me through three degrees, provided me with the most incredible set of pals anyone could ever hope for by assigning me to locations where I found a tribe among the local civilian population, by being lucky enough to be in units with awesome, smart, and inspiring people, or by giving me the qualifications I needed to earn inclusion in a community of motivators and doers (I'm looking at you, Pat Tillman Foundation). I also found my spouse and started a family in the Army. While having a child on active duty is no easy task - we opted out of being a dual military family because it was just too hard - my hubs and I have raised a smart, funny, and, most importantly, empathetic, open-minded, and kind daughter. I have two years remaining until my retirement (I will drop my paperwork next week 😱 which seems insane! Or upload it into the black hole of IPPS-A ...) and I look forward to learning about the opportunities available outside of wearing a uniform. I can't wait to start the next chapter in what's already been quite a lengthy novel. #collegedropouttophd #militarytrasition #retirement #careertrasition

Had a fantastic morning teaching a class to graduate students from Australia's Macquarie University! The exchange program, coordinated by the University of Maryland and START, offers students unique opportunities to engage with US government officials and scholars in DC and NYC. Grateful to National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) & Max Erdemandi for inviting me to speak and for my ongoing faculty role. Keeping academia close to heart ❤️🧡🖤 #TerpPride 🐢 #Education #InternationalExchange

Seems like a sloooow OODA loop (thx Skyler Onken - stealing that) but, we got ‘em 🙅♀️ (Yes, the effort began in 2017 🫠)

This is a **BIG** deal - to see how much of a big deal, jump to the end to see the other House-passed provisions. What I hope will come of the Cyber Force study is a clear indication of how the services are doing at producing ready and capable cyber personnel for USCC. The numbers I am aware of indicate that roughly 30% of the MOS-qualified people pass/get through the further training requirements once they get to a USCC unit. With Army numbers alone showing 17As and 17Cs standing at 100%, it means the Army would need to be at 333% in those MOSs to provide the necessary brainpower (note: brainpower - something the Army has not shown it values in its cyber soldiers) USCC needs to do its mission. I hope the study requirement is passed and I'm excited to see what we learn.

When you read the title, you may think, "Duh!" But, holy cow, Jonathon Monken of Converge Strategies, LLC lays out some striking numbers in this thoughtful opinion piece to show how much needs to be done to protect the nation and how we need to recognize that national defense begins with electric grid resilience. BLUF: "Without rapid and persistent action at the national and regional scales, vulnerabilities to the systems that support our most critical needs will soon outpace our ability to address them." The numbers that hit home for me: 1) 95% of US military bases rely on civilian infrastructure. 2) The rise in data centers and US manufacturing facilities has caused an energy demand surge, with some individual projects requiring as much as 1000 megawatts - equal to the energy needed to power 750,000 homes. 3) Since 2000, there’s been a 67% increase in major power outages from weather-related events.