The cyber world has created the most dynamic environment that has significant national security implications in history! Few individual organizations would or could argue with that statement. Given that observation, and the fact that the country's national security is at stake, it is time to step back and look at the past, what is happening today and what is likely to happen in the not-so-distant future.

After that thought process, an innovative and creative path forward must be constructed, reviewed, modified and acted upon immediately.

Given the current state, we have limited resources — human resources properly skilled, budget constraints; it is clear we can't just keep doing what we are doing today and have done in the past! The current situation brings to mind this phrase: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results."

We must learn from the past, anticipate the future and concentrate on identifying what would be considered a force multiplier in cyberspace. MilitaryFactory.com defines force multiplier as a "capability that, when added to and employed by a combat force, significantly increases the combat potential of that force and thus enhances the probability of successful mission accomplishment." The only addition I would recommend is that the "force" portion of that term goes far beyond the human resources component and is multidimensional.

A change of mindset is necessary. Perhaps a mindset similar to what was representative in Silicon Valley during the internet age of the mid- to late 1990s. When it comes to national security, we must be more open-minded to new, creative and innovative ideas; but with an underlying approach of: if you are going to fail, which is inevitable, learn to fail fast in a limited capacity.

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