Skip to main content
Leidos
Search
  • Suppliers
  • Employees
  • Newsroom
  • Investors
  • Global
  • Contact
  • Company
    • Our Business

      We embrace and solve some of the world's toughest challenges.

      • Civil
      • Defense
      • Health
      • Intelligence
      • Dynetics
      • Leidos Innovations Center (LInC)
      Tom Bell standing in a stairway at Leidos GHQ

      Leidos welcomes Tom Bell as incoming CEO.

      Meet Tom

    • Mission, Vision, & Values

      Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people, and our community.

      • Mission
      • Vision
      • Values
      man sitting on bleachers holding soccer ball

      Let’s come together and talk about the changes that are needed.

      The Opioid Epidemic: A Call to Action

    • Leadership

      Meet the executive team responsible for leading our forward-thinking employees toward a shared success.

      • Tom Bell
      • Chris Cage
      • Maureen Waterston
      • Vicki Schmanske
      • Jerry Howe
      • Jim Carlini
      • Debbie Opiekun
      • Thomas Sanglier
      • Jim Moos
      • Gerry Fasano
      • Roy Stevens
      • Liz Porter
      • Steve Cook
      • Paul Engola
      • Board of Directors
      Tom Bell standing in a stairway at Leidos GHQ

      Leidos welcomes Tom Bell as incoming CEO.

      Meet Tom

    • History

      Leidos has a long history of innovative problem-solving and customer service, dating all the way back to 1969 when Dr. J. Robert Beyster founded his "crazy little company".

      • Explore our History
      • Dr. J. Robert Beyster
      • A Kaleidoscope of Innovation: The Story of Leidos
      Dr. Beyster

      Almost 50 years ago, visionary scientist J. Robert Beyster, Ph.D. founded the company that evolved into Leidos.

      Read More

    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion

      Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is reflected in the way we engage our people, our customers, and our external partnerships through our innovative programs, sponsorships, and engagement.

      • Our Vision, Philosophy, and Approach
      • Strategic Diversity Outreach
      • Employee Resource Groups
      • Inclusion & Diversity in the UK
      Top Supporters HBCU badge for 2022

      Leidos was recently named to the 2022 Top Supporters of HBCU Engineering list published by Career Communications Group, Inc.

      Partnering with HBCUs

    • Responsibility & Sustainability

      We're equally committed to using our time and resources to support people, enrich communities, and protect the environment.

      • ESG Goals
      • CEO Message
      • Executive Summary
      • ESG Governance & Strategy
      • Environment
      • Community
      • People
      • Suppliers & Small Business Relationships
      • Political Activities
      • About our Reporting
      • GRI™ Standards
      NASA ground station

      Discover how we helped NASA develop a climate action plan

      Read Article

    • Ethics & Compliance

      We have a strong history of performance that rests on our foundation of integrity.

      • File a Report
      • History of Ethics
      • Ethics Program Structure
      • Code of Conduct
      World's most ethical companies logo

      Leidos named one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies for sixth consecutive year.

      Read More

    • Rankings & Awards

      Our innovative approach and the services and solutions we deliver frequently earn Leidos recognition from our industry and the media.

      • Enterprise Awards
      • Defense Awards
      • Civil Awards
      • Health Awards
      A gold trophy on a light green background

      A frequent honoree on the corporate awards circuit, Leidos is proud of its many industry-specific and corporate-level achievements.

      Cue the Applause

    • Partners

      The Leidos Alliance Partner Network emphasizes connections through partnership and collaboration that drive innovation, advance technology, and build efficiency.

      • Corporate Strategic Partners
      • Technology Integration Partners
      • Emerging Technology Partners
      Bubba Wallace image

      We're teaming up with Bubba Wallace and 23XI Racing in 2023 advancing a culture of inclusion and diversity.

      Fueling a Better Tomorrow

    • Subsidiaries

      Our wholly owned and majority-owned subsidiaries attract and retain top talent motivated to deliver results for clients.

      • 1901 Group
      • Dynetics
      • Gibbs & Cox
      • Leidos Biomedical Research
      • Leidos Digital Solutions
      • BEONTRA
      • QTC
      • Leidos Engineering
      • Systems Made Simple
      • Varec
      Gibbs & Cox-designed DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer at sea

      Leidos completes Gibbs & Cox acquisition, expanding maritime undersea, autonomous and cybersecurity capabilities.

      Read Press Release

    • Contract Vehicles

      Whether you’re a potential government customer or a prospective supplier, through this listing you can find our technical and professional services under pre-negotiated terms and conditions.

      • Governmentwide MACs & IDIQs
      • GSA Schedules
      • Agency Specific IDIQs
      Leidos Lunar Terrain Vehicle

      Leidos and its Dynetics team will compete in another moon race, this time to design a vehicle that astronauts will use to explore the lunar surface.

      Take a lunar leap into the details

    • Global

      With more than 400 locations in 30 countries, we continue to expand our presence and strengthen our international relationships.

      • United Kingdom & Europe
      • Australia
      • Israel
      • Middle East
      • Canada
      plane flying over water

      Leidos has announced the completed acquisition of Cobham Aviation Services Australia’s Special Mission business.

      Hop Onboard to Learn More

    • Trust

      Cybersecurity and data privacy is central to what we do; protecting data, systems, and infrastructure that are critical to our employees, customers, communities, and stakeholders.

      • Commitment to Privacy & Cybersecurity
      • Cybersecurity
      • Data Privacy
      • Privacy Statement
      Citizens walking with data flowing around them

      Today, tomorrow, and every day is Data Privacy Day.

      Read the Article

  • Markets
    • Aviation

      From sidewalk to sky, we've got you covered.

      • Air Traffic Management
      • ANSP Professional Services
      • Security Solutions
      • Intelligent Approach
      • Scenario Planning & Forecasting
      • Passenger Flow Measurement
      • FODD & Fuels Management
      • Flight Management & Briefing
      Leidos Smartlane in use at an airport

      Safeguarding travel and trade at a global scale with fully-integrated security detection solutions.

      Learn About Our Portfolio

    • Defense

      Empowering and enabling mission success in all domains with aerial and autonomous platforms.

      • Advanced Manufacturing
      • Airborne
      • Autonomy & Autonomous Solutions
      • Command & Control
      • Cyber
      • Digital Modernization
      • Force Protection
      • Hypersonics & Strike Systems
      • JADC2
      • Operations & Logistics
      • Training
      Helicopter with a chest being carried underneath it

      Leidos was recently awarded a new prime contract to develop an uncrewed aircraft system that can autonomously resupply forward-deployed ground forces.

      Read Press Release

    • Energy & Industry

      Leidos is equipped to support critical industries like energy, transportation, and manufacturing.

      • Power Delivery
      • Integrated Energy Management
      • Electrification & Clean Energy Services
      • Project Finance & Development
      • Advanced Communications Solutions
      • Manufacturing Systems
      • Site Management & Operations
      • Transportation
      Electricity pylons in sunny field

      Leidos delivers a complex modeling project resulting in a clear view of bulk electric and sub-transmission systems for FirstEnergy.

      Read the Case Study

    • Government

      We support programs for identity theft recovery, health record protection, tax filing, fraud investigation, census data, and research.

      • Cybersecurity
      • Digital Modernization
      • Health IT
      • Forms Processing
      • Operations & Logistics
      • Mission Software Systems
      IT analysts in discussion over monitors

      Leidos completes acquisition of 1901 Group, expanding digital modernization capabilities.

      Read Press Release

    • Healthcare

      We draw on decades of success to deliver a range of solutions and services to meet the healthcare challenges of today.

      • Hospital Systems
      • Federal Health
      • Military & Veterans Health
      Healthcare professional using tablet

      Taking a strategic approach to experience true digital transformation in healthcare.

      Read White Paper

    • Homeland

      Integrating, applying, and advancing IT to tackle the ever-advancing challenges of protecting our borders.

      • Biometrics
      • Mission Cyber & Network Defense
      • Integrated Systems
      • Digital Modernization
      • Data Analytics
      • Intelligence & Linguistic Services
      • CBRN Defense
      • Human Capital Services
      • Complex Logistics
      • Ports & Borders
      • Critical Infrastructure
      Leidos Smartlane in use at an airport

      Safeguarding travel and trade at a global scale with fully-integrated security detection solutions.

      Learn About Our Portfolio

    • Intelligence

      With cloud-enabled automation and augmentation expertise and a team adept at harnessing machine learning, we apply powerful analytic tools for superior performance and data protection.

      • Intelligence Community Engineering
      • Collection, Analysis, & Reporting
      • Operational Support & Training
      Woman looking at computer screen reflection in glasses

      Our DevOps Lab is an advanced, unclassified, state-of-the-art center dedicated to software and hardware development and engineering.

      Learn more about the Lab

    • Science

      Groundbreaking scientific research and environmental management practices for defense, civilian, and health markets.

      • Life Sciences
      • Autonomous Systems
      • Airborne & Ground ISR
      • Command & Control
      • Environmental Science
      • Modeling, Simulation, & Training
      • Sensors
      • Specialty Sciences
      Illustration representing health-focused scientific research

      NCI's Frederick National Laboratory has launched three initiatives focused on SARS-CoV-2.

      Read the Article

    • Space

      Speed, security, and scale for your most critical space missions

      • Mission Operations
      • Human Exploration
      • ISR
      • Payloads
      • Domain Awareness
      • Propulsion
      Female behind a transparent screen with text and graphs visible

      IT systems disappear into the background by providing an enhanced user experience

      Learn how IT Enables the Mission

  • Capabilities
    • Cyber Operations

      We use intelligent automation and AI/ML to defend networks through detection and mitigation.

      • Quantum
      • Zero Trust
      • Security Operations Center
      • Cyber Resiliency
      • Risk Management Framework
      • Cyber Analytics
      • Information Assurance
      • Insider Threat
      • Accredited Testing & Evaluation
      • EXCITE
      • Electronic Warfare
      binary code

      Outpacing adversaries through the application of IT, engineering, and science.

      From Castles to Cities with Zero Trust

    • Digital Modernization

      Boost your IT resilience with trusted AI and full-spectrum cyber services for complex operations.

      • Application Modernization
      • Cloud
      • Data Center Modernization
      • Digital Workplace
      • Mobility
      • SecDevOps
      • User Engagement
      IT analysts in discussion over monitors

      Leidos completes acquisition of 1901 Group, expanding digital modernization capabilities.

      Read Press Release

    • Integrated Systems

      We deliver high-performing hardware and software systems to solve challenges in an array of specializations.

      • Assured-Position Navigation & Timing
      • Autonomous & Unmanned Systems
      • Biometrics
      • Security Detection & Automation
      • Sensors, Signal Processing, & Analysis
      • Space
      • Strike Systems & Hypersonics
      • TRAPS
      Female Leidos employee holding a tablet

      With the help of Leidos, IRS has been able to leverage enabling technology to develop solutions to the year's unique challenges.

      Read Article

    • Mission Operations

      Providing secure, resilient, and cost-effective tools and processes, informed by deep domain knowledge and mission understanding, to support critical customer missions.

      • Antarctic Support Contract
      • EngineeringEdge® NextGen
      • ISS Cargo Mission Contract
      • Leidos Performance Management
      • UK Logistics & Operations
      • StarTT®
      • Strategic National Stockpile
      Ice sheet in Antarctica

      Each year, Leidos moves more than six million pounds of cargo and coordinates 100 flight missions to and from Antarctica.

      About Our Role

    • Mission Software Systems

      Through disciplined processes, common tools, reusable frameworks, automation, collaboration, and domain expertise, our mission software systems are designed to deliver secure, mission quality software.

      • Command & Control
      • LEAF
      • SE Core
      • Tactical Data Links
      • AI/ML
      Software on a mission text on blue background

      Mission quality software. Silicon Valley speed.

      More on Building Better Software

    • Enabling Technologies

      Our enabling technologies are the backbone of our core capabilities, supporting our customer's important work from the front lines.

      • Secure, Rapid Software
      • Trusted AI/ML
      • Full-Spectrum Cyber
      • Rapid Prototyping & Manufacturing
      Military radar simulation with green display, showing a glowing grid with coordinates and positioning numbers

      How we are deploying AI to solve the world’s toughest problems.

      Artificial Intelligence in Action

    • Technology Certifications

      We partner with world-class technology providers to develop innovative solutions for our customer’s toughest challenges.

      • AWS
      • Cisco
      • Microsoft
      • Scaled Agile
      • ServiceNow
      group of coworkers looking at computer monitor

      We help our partners save money and improve performance.

      How the Cloud Saved Some Coin

  • Insights
    • Insights

      Get employees' and stakeholders' expertise, leadership, unique perspectives, and more.

      • Latest Insights
      • MindSET Podcast
      • Press Releases
      • Heroes of Leidos
      • Our Experts
      • Careers
      • Military & Veterans
      • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
      • Fact Sheets
      • Articles
      • Case Studies
      • Infographics
      • Q&As
      podcast microphone

      Listen to the stories behind the world's most important work in the MindSET podcast.

      Explore the MindSET Podcast

  • Careers
    • Latest Opportunities

      Keep up to date on the latest career opportunities at Leidos.

      • Military Veteran Program
      • External Referral Program
      • Intern & New Graduate Jobs
      • Careers with Leidos in the UK
      • Careers with Leidos in Australia
      • Opportunities for Leidos Employees
      People icons with gradient over

      At Leidos, we have a strong focus on our employees’ career, flexibility, and well-being.

      Learn more about Leidos Life

    • Life at Leidos

      A career at Leidos offers meaningful and engaging work, a collaborative culture, support for your career goals, while nurturing a healthy work-life balance.

      • Our Values
      • Our Culture
      • An Inclusive Workforce
      • Build a Career
      • Leidos Alumni Network
      People icons with gradient over

      At Leidos, we have a strong focus on our employees’ career, flexibility, and well-being.

      Learn more about Leidos Life

    • Pay & Benefits

      Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision, which is why our compensation packages reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers.

      • Compensation
      • Health & Wellness
      • Income Protection
      • Leave
      • Retirement
      • Family Benefits
      People icons with gradient over

      At Leidos, we have a strong focus on our employees’ career, flexibility, and well-being.

      Learn more about Leidos Life

    • Frequently Asked Questions

      Find answers to the most commonly asked questions related to securing a role at Leidos.

      • Searching for a Role
      • Applying for a Job
      • Determining Application Status
      • System Access
      • Job Eligibility Requirements
      • Receiving Job Notifications
      • Our Talent Community
      • Career Insights
      People icons with gradient over

      At Leidos, we have a strong focus on our employees’ career, flexibility, and well-being.

      Learn more about Leidos Life

  • Search Search
  • Company
  • Markets
  • Capabilities
  • Insights
  • Careers
Back to top

Breadcrumb

  1. Home
  2. Insights

Practicing preparedness: Are you ready for your next cyberattack?

Cyber attack written in code

There is no escaping it: cyberwarfare is here, and on a daily basis, attacks upon every organization are taking place. How an organization responds to the inevitable successful intrusion will make all the difference between a quick recovery and a costly failure.

The World Economic Forum estimates the risk to organizations around the world as equal to that of natural disasters, and the potential losses just as high. Lloyd’s of London puts the potential damage to the global economy from a large-scale cyberattack at more than $120 billion, on par with the costliest hurricanes in US history, Hurricanes Katrina in 2005 and Harvey in 2017. That is because the information technology world is unique in that the level of knowhow and brainpower that has done so much to improve the lives of billions of people worldwide in a very positive way can equally be used to perform destructive cyberwarfare.

Government agencies are at as much risk, if not more, as anyone else. Despite commercial enterprises, the financial industry, and government agencies all dedicating significant resources and trying a variety of methods to harden themselves to cyber threats, the successful intrusion rate of a persistent actor remains to be high. The fact is, the likelihood of success by a threat actor persists because attackers, too, keep adding to their resources and changing their methods. Thus, the impact and scope of a potential intrusion still keeps Security Operation Center (SOC) chiefs, cybersecurity directors, Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs), and Chief Information Officers (CIOs) up at night.  The challenge compounds for federated government agencies due to the number of uniquely independent organizations they are required to protect.

Nothing less than a warfighter's mentality is required for successful assurance in defensive capabilities. To a warfighter, realistic training is critical in increasing the odds of being on the winning side of each battle. To that end, utilizing a new, out-of-the-box approach to systematically practicing readiness alongside cyber security standards and procedures as they apply to the respective organization, will greatly improve defenses against cyberwarfare attacks.

Why what the industry has been doing has not been enough

Many cybersecurity leaders take a traditional approach to managing risk that involves increasing the budget and resources used to develop a solution to the problem. This usually results in costly on-demand charges and a poor understanding of how a given incident happened, how the defending organization responded, impact of the incident, and how to address the incident with stakeholders.  Examples of these traditional approaches are:

  • Contingency funds to funnel money into existing cybershops when disaster strikes;
  • Comprehensive portfolios of ever increasing security tools;
  • External commercial cybersecurity vendor(s) for hunt and incident response; and
  • Teaming with other federal partners to help respond to threats.

However, despite the best efforts of IT professionals and outside vendors, such measures still are not enough to defend against and respond to threats. That is because they do not address the root problem many organizations face: A lack of quantifiable methods to analyze, measure, and adjust true organizational responses and procedures applied to attacks.  This includes incident response policies, procedures, tools, and unique developed capabilities.

To address this shortfall, cyber decision makers can depend on an approach that draws from a text older than the Pyramids yet still very much relevant today.

Lessons from The Art of War

In The Art of War, the fifth century classic text often referenced by cyber defenders, Sun Tzu educates readers to both know yourself and know your enemy. Such knowledge is as much the key to successful cyber defense and response as any other kind of warfare.

In the context of cybersecurity, knowledge of self includes a full understanding of your organization's incident response plan, patch-management status, and digital footprint across on-premises and in the cloud as well as mobile and other devices, network design, user base, etc. It also includes such information as your organization’s unique risk tolerance, any moratoriums in place, risk factors unique to your industry, the results of any hazard vulnerability analysis, and the locations and capabilities of your cyber defense tools and processes. Internal analysis and simulations can help develop this crucial knowledge.

Critical knowledge of the enemy includes an understanding of what an attack has done or seeks to do, and, deeper than that, knowledge of the preferred techniques of given adversaries to help you predict what attackers might do next.

To effectively measure and defend against cyberattacks, you need to combine in-depth self-knowledge and knowledge of the enemy. This mentality and effort must be put it into practice, within the context of your unique processes, risk tolerances, moratoriums, governance procedures, rule sets, etc. Moreover, there's no better way to hone this knowledge than in the context of a simulation environment.

In other words, just as actual warfighters prepare for battle with exercises on a firing range, cybersecurity experts should seek opportunities to practice on in hyper-realistic cyber simulation.

Practice makes preparedness 

Cyber simulations can help organizations prepare to handle their unique security challenges in a safe and controllable environment.

With realistic practice, analyst are able to keep their skills sharp overtime so they are prepared to face  threat actors who are consistently changing tactics.  Without a realistic simulation environment that can span across the entire kill chain of adversary activity, organizations risk aggressors getting stronger and the defenders getting weaker.  If federal agencies seek out simulation environments that can be customized to their organization’s needs, CISOs and CIOs can obtain a better view into how their organization will respond to an attack and measure the results. This practice allows decision makers to make informed risk acceptable decisions on informed applicable data.

Practicing realistic cyber preparedness is critical so that organizations can measure and refine their effectiveness in a precise manor. Through precision, leaders are assured in the response capability of their organization and can “adjust fire” as needed.  By doing more to know yourself and your enemy, organizations can more adequately prepare for cyberattacks when the inevitable happens.

Here at Leidos, we bake in hands-on experience into our CyberEDGE Academy program and into our cyber defense workforce strategy because we understand the challenges presented to federated organizations, we understand emerging technologies, and we understand emerging threats.  We prioritize our people through innovative approaches and technologies for constant and increasing effectiveness to all the various missions we support. 

Related Insights
View more Insights
  • An abstract cybersecurity web map
    Accelerating cyber resilience in a changing world
  • Security specialist working at a data center with multiple monitors displaying information
    Cyber Defense of Operational Technology
  • A man, smiling on a white background
    Zeroing in on Zero Trust Data
Author
Joshua Strunk
Joshua Strunk Chief Cyber Security Officer for Homeland Security Solutions

Joshua began his career as a cyber security analyst for Customs and Border Patrol. He went on to serve in leadership roles for Security Operations Centers at the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of the Treasury.

Share
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share via Mail
  • Print Insight

Posted

December 8, 2020

Estimated Read Time

Author
Joshua Strunk

Tags

Article
Cyber
Homeland

Sign up for our newsletters

Stay up to date on our expertise, industry leadership, unique perspectives, and more by subscribing to our newsletters.

  • Company
    • Our Business
    • Mission, Vision, & Values
    • Leadership
    • History
    • Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
    • Responsibility & Sustainability
    • Ethics & Compliance
    • Rankings & Awards
    • Partners
    • Subsidiaries
    • Contract Vehicles
    • Global
    • Trust
  • Markets
    • Aviation
    • Defense
    • Energy & Industry
    • Government
    • Healthcare
    • Homeland
    • Intelligence
    • Science
    • Space
  • Capabilities
    • Cyber Operations
    • Digital Modernization
    • Integrated Systems
    • Mission Operations
    • Mission Software Systems
    • Enabling Technologies
    • Technology Certifications
  • Insights
    • Newsroom
  • Careers
    • Life at Leidos
    • Pay & Benefits
    • Alumni
    • FAQs

Want to know more?

Contact us about product information and pricing, customer feedback, stockholder services, or just to voice a concern.

Get started

  • © 2023 Leidos

  • Trust
  • Ad Choices

  • Privacy Statement
  • Email Preferences
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information
  • © 2021 Leidos
  • Australian Privacy Statement
  • Australian Whistleblower Policy
  • Ad Choices
  • Email Preferences
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Utility Footer Navigation

  • Products
  • Customers
  • Suppliers
  • Investors
  • Employees
  • Accessibility
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin
  • YouTube