A shameless plug for my old boss:

Still, Donavan Lewis, chief of the Defense Intelligence Agency’s threat analysis division, wants the United States to think more about long-term trends.

“China has shifted its dependence away from the United States to [countries such as Malaysia and South Korea], while our dependence on them has grown,” he said during a Defense conference in Salt Lake City in May. “We’ve got to adjust our thinking, our calculus about how we put together a system of systems.”

He admits to being worried about the possibility that “subversive functionality could be embedded” in technology.

“The Defense acquisition community is not used to thinking of itself as part of computer security,” he said.

A common refrain that has not gained a lot of traction despite being proven right again and again and again. Less a question of a falling tree making a sound as it is a platoon of woodsmen wearing ear plugs. Fair enough, but something to keep in mind the next time someone screams “intelligence failure!”

About the Author

Michael Tanji

Michael Tanji spent nearly 20 years in the US intelligence community. Trained in both SIGINT and HUMINT disciplines he has worked at the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, and the National Reconnaissance Office. At various points in his career he served as an expert in information warfare, computer network operations, computer forensics, and indications and warning. A veteran of the US Army, Michael has served in both strategic and tactical assignments in the Pacific Theater, the Balkans, and the Middle East.