CDSE gears up for National Insider Threat Awareness Month

Photo By Cashmere He | Graphic header for NITAM 2022  

QUANTICO, VA, UNITED STATES

08.05.2022

Story by Cashmere He 

Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency

LINTHICUM, Md. – The Center for Development of Security Excellence (CDSE), provider of training and education within the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA), gears up for the fourth annual National Insider Threat Awareness Month (NITAM) in September.

First held in September 2019, the National Insider Threat Task Force (NITTF), the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC), and DCSA partnered with the FBI, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence, and the Department of Homeland Security to bring together thousands of U.S. security professionals and policy makers from Government and industry, located in 25 countries around the globe, to increase awareness about the risks posed by insider threats and the role of insider threat programs.

NITAM is a great opportunity for the Insider Threat community to share best practices and lessons learned over the last year about countering Insider Threat, have meaningful discussions about emerging threats or trends, as well as remind our workforces about their roles in reporting Insider Threat indicators, said Heather Mardaga, CDSE Director.

CDSE recently launched a newly refreshed website highlighting this year’s theme, “Critical Thinking in Digital Spaces,” that focuses on insider threat awareness and the role of personal and organizational resilience in mitigating insider risk. It also provides users with various materials for download, including games, videos, posters, graphics, and more, available for free to the general public.

The website's purpose is to invite community partners to host awareness materials approved by their public affairs offices, and encourage organizations to help bring attention to the counter-insider threat mission and attend scheduled NITAM events. The website is a fantastic one-stop shop for Insider Threat practitioners to find a vast array of exciting products to use for their workforces, said Mardaga.

New participants can expect a chance to learn from some of the leading professionals in the Insider Threat field, learn about new and innovative ways to make their Insider Threat programs robust, explore the Insider Threat app, and most importantly, get a better understanding of emerging insider threat vulnerabilities.

“Returning participants will find new materials and conference discussions about the impacts of our digital footprints and engage in meaningful dialogue on how we as an Insider Threat community can work together to improve our digital security postures,” said Mardaga.

CDSE will kick-off NITAM on September 1 with the Insider Threat Virtual Security Conference and will include opening remarks from Tara Jones, Deputy Director for Defense Intelligence, Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security (OUSDI&S), and a list of panel-led discussions covering topics such as critical thinking, cognitive bias, evolving threats, phishing, mental health and more. CDSE will also visit the Pentagon, host webinars, and launch a brand new insider threat eLearning game.

“I hope all participants in this year’s NITAM have a wonderful experience - whether through the website, the resource offerings or the virtual conference, there is something for everyone,” said Mardaga. “This is a fantastic initiative and one that is so important to the entire security community - the hard work done by Insider Threat professionals helps ensure the effectiveness of our programs and we are honored to support a month of activities and events to provide resources and support to all of the Insider Threat professionals out there.”

For more information about events, and to learn about this month’s theme, “Critical Thinking in Digital Spaces,” please visit the NITAM website: https://securityawareness.usalearning.gov/cdse/nitam/about.html.

• Date Taken: 08.05.2022
• Date Posted: 08.05.2022 08:56
• Story ID: 426592
• Location: QUANTICO, VA, US