Janet Vogel

Chief Information Security Officer

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Janet Vogel is a forward-thinking cybersecurity leader who guided the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Cybersecurity Operations team to develop and implement the Cyber Learning Enablement Neural System (CyLENS) Beaconing project. CyLENS identifies, observes, and quickly blocks anomalous traffic by monitoring network traffic through Supervised Machine Learning. The cutting-edge technology determined the origin country of network traffic with 99% accuracy and enabled HHS to block suspected malicious traffic and handle more than 209 billion malicious network access attacks in one year. Ms. Vogel’s team also built the Generative Adversarial Network to generate realistic synthesized traffic patterns to test against security tools and analyze observed traffic. Other transformation projects Ms. Vogel initiated at HHS are related to machine learning, authorization to operate, and cybersecurity reporting standardization. As part of the Security and Assurance Team for the Federal COVID Pandemic Response, Ms. Vogel provided guidance and resources to support the race to provide vaccines through securing the pipeline of supplies – from raw material to vaccine formulas, transportation, shots in arms, and to collection of patient reaction data. Ms. Vogel’s internal education initiatives to keep HHS environments secure have resulted in a 19% reduction in privacy incidents, phishing campaigns that engaged fewer employees, and increases in the FISMA and FITARA scores for the HHS. 

Cal Zemelman

Executive Director, Data Science & Engineering Practice and Solutions Innovation Office

CVP

Cal Zemelman is passionate about applying emerging technologies to modernize legacy systems and approaches to solving the federal government’s most challenging problems. Mr. Zemelman led a team of data scientists and analysts at the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) to develop a next-generation approach to safety and training for more than 1,000 inspectors around the U.S. Working with subject matter experts, Mr. Zemelman and his team used a drone to collect over one thousand sample images, trained a deep learning model to detect seepage, and developed a solution that was 97% accurate in locating a leak within 100ms. Mr. Zemelman and his team also created a gamified, virtual reality (VR) training experience that teaches new MSHA personnel the parts of an exterior wall of a surface mine, then interactively quizzes them in VR on their knowledge. The drone-enabled VR training has resulted in better retention of information in the workforce, increased productivity, and makes training more interesting for MSHA’s modern workforce, which expects engaging electronic experiences. Across these two projects at DOL MSHA and others at neighboring agencies, Mr. Zemelman is leveraging emerging technologies to cost-effectively produce safer, better outcomes for the government. 

Christopher Boyd

Chief, Biometrics / Person Centric Services Branch

DHS - U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

Office of Information Technology

Identity, Records and National Security Delivery Division

Described as “pioneers of Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS),” Christopher Boyd and his team took on the challenge of using AI and machine learning (ML) to restore trust in the immigration system at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). With the goal of improving the quality and speed of immigration services, Mr. Boyd led a team that created an authoritative source of trusted biographical and biometrics information, providing a real time visibility and analysis of immigration information. He addressed this unique challenge by using innovation across three vectors – people, process, and technology. The team created a multi-contractor system for five different vendors and instilled a culture of togetherness to resolve fundamental problems with the immigration system, while providing clear guidance on execution, reporting and accountability. Stakeholder mindsets were changed by promoting outcomes over outputs and instilling confidence through complete transparency. The team also led the charge on implementing solutions driven primarily by AI and ML frameworks to augment the ability of immigration specialists to make decisions quickly and authoritatively. Mr. Boyd and his team improved immigration services through the extensive use of AI and ML. This will undoubtedly serve as a case study on how to successfully implement AI solutions across other agencies in the future.

David Waltermire

Lead for Standards and Outreach, Security Automation Program

Computer Security Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology

Bob Byers is credited with leading a team that developed a method to better assess and understand vulnerabilities described within the National Vulnerability Database (NVD). The database, which is maintained by the Computer Security Division of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), is used daily by the U.S. Federal Government and hundreds of governments worldwide, Fortune 500 and commercial companies, private institutions, and critical infrastructure to detect and address known vulnerabilities. Mr. Byers, along with Christopher Turner and David Waltermire, accomplished their goal in a manner that supports a volume only achievable by automation and the introduction of emerging technologies, such as the increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). The NVD Team set out to increase participation with and access to vulnerability data, remove subjective characteristics of reported vulnerabilities into a common and consistent taxonomy, develop a framework to support vulnerability tools development, and reduce the dependence upon human security analysts to analyze known vulnerabilities. The team took the approach of standardizing vulnerability terminology and format, while developing a framework to automate analysis. They developed a human machine-readable format of JSON for vulntological representations of vulnerabilities, enabling developers to use this information for customized applications. They also developed a GitHub available repository of schema specifications complete with examples and submission templates promoting the adoption of the new scheme for ontological representations. Finally, a comparative analysis solution was developed to uniquely identify and compare the submitted ontological representations validating submissions and subsequently adding them to the repository. The result is a method that improves the fidelity of vulnerability information, makes the participation of risk management easier and far more accessible, and provides a framework that supports both national and international security.

Darjan Vujica

Director, Analytics & Research Directorate

Global Engagement Center, U.S. Department of State

Under the leadership of Darjan Vujica, the Global Engagement Center (GEC) launched GEC-IQ – a cloud-based analytics and information-sharing platform that provides a single space for analysts and executives to recognize, understand, and counter disinformation and propaganda. GEC-IQ is the first analytical collaboration system of its kind, enabling 700+ end-users across 20+ government agencies and organizations to work in a single environment and build a common operating picture of global disinformation threats. The platform provides advanced data science and analytical tools to an interagency community of analysts, transforming previously siloed research into collaborative and accelerated global efforts to counter disinformation and propaganda. GEC-IQ significantly highlights disinformation and propaganda efforts by adversaries through knowledge sharing, giving analysts and their organizations access to a centralized repository of data, a library of learning material, and published finished analyses. This all culminates in one platform that increases an organization’s ability to recognize, understand, and counter disinformation and propaganda. GEC-IQ has increased the capabilities of GEC and its partners, creating a redundant and resilient network of disinformation and propaganda practitioners and executives across the interagency and global partners. GEC-IQ’s innovations in the disinformation and analytical space directly benefit the GEC and its rapidly expanding global community of disinformation and propaganda analysis.

Dave Catanoso

Director, Enterprise Cloud Solutions Office (ECSO)

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Dave Catanoso took on the challenge of leading a multifaceted IT modernization effort to reduce the Department of Veterans Affairs’ (VA) reliance on costly legacy systems and to deliver new capabilities to better serve veterans and their families. He is responsible for the implementation of the VA Enterprise Cloud (VAEC) and other cloud solutions that deliver secure and seamless cloud functionality. The VAEC provides a set of common, general support services (GSS) such as authentication and performance monitoring, which each application can leverage, speeding and simplifying the development of new applications in or migration of existing applications to the cloud. It also implements many of the NIST, FedRAMP, and VA-required security controls, reducing the time each application should take to obtain a VA Authority to Operate (ATO). Mr. Catanoso’s aggressive goal of moving 350+ applications to the cloud by 2024 is projected to save more than $5 million, while providing more agile, scalable, secure, and cost-effective services for veterans. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he also led the rapid expansion of the VA cloud environment to support a 1,200% increase in video visits. Due to Mr. Catanoso’s leadership, the VA now hosts 100+ applications in the cloud and supports 12 million hits per month on VA.gov and an approximate 40% usage increase of the My HealtheVet patient portal. Migrating the VA’s identity and access management application to the cloud has saved nearly $1 million per month and reduced hosting costs by a 66%.