Secure communications need to balance usability with risk

Susannah Schiller is the Acting Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). Ms. Schiller advises the NIST Director on the planning, execution, evaluation, and delivery of information technology services and support. She is responsible for planning and managing NIST’s core information technology resources effectively, efficiently, and securely so that NIST can achieve its mission.

Ms. Schiller has spent over 30 years at NIST, the past 15 of which have been spent in the Office of Information Systems Management as the Deputy CIO or Acting CIO. She began her career as a statistician, focusing on design and analysis of experiments for NIST scientists and engineers. She also spent several years in the Advanced Technology Program (ATP), first developing and executing policy and communications, and then managing ATP’s IT resources and developing specialized database applications.

Ms. Schiller holds a Master's Degree in Statistics from the University of Illinois and a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Computer Science from the College of Wooster. She was the recipient of a Department of Commerce Bronze Medal and the George Uriano Award.

Colonel Pete Wilson was born and raised in a military family and calls Cleveland, Ohio, home. He received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communications and ROTC commission from John Carroll University. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Computer Resources and Information Management Systems and a Master of Business Administration degree both from Webster University and a Master of Science degree in National Resource Strategy, with a concentration in Cyber Security from the Eisenhower School, National Defense University.

Colonel Wilson is a graduate of Senior Service College, Army Command and General Staff College, the Combined Arms and Services Staff School, and the Signal Captains Career and Basic Courses.

Colonel Wilson’s assignments include: Platoon Leader, Charlie Company, 122d Signal Battalion, Camp Red Cloud, Korea; Platoon Leader, HHB IIId Armored Corps Artillery, Fort Sill, Oklahoma; S6, 1-17th Field Artillery Battalion (Paladin), Fort Sill, Oklahoma; SFOR Deputy G6 Automations Officer, 1st Infantry Division and 1st Armored Division, Bosnia; S6, 1-77th Field Artillery Battalion (MLRS), Fort Sill, Oklahoma; S6, 502nd Infantry Regiment, Fort Campbell, Kentucky; KFOR Task Force Falcon Deputy G6, Kosovo; Commander, Charlie Company, and then Assistant S3, 501st Signal Battalion, Fort Campbell, Kentucky; Recruiting Operations Officer, Niagara University, Niagara Falls, New York; Executive Officer and then Operations Officer, 51st Signal Battalion (Expeditionary), Joint Base Lewis-McCord, Washington; Senior Signal Observer/Trainer, Mission Command Training Program, followed by Executive Officer to the Combined Arms Center Chief of Staff, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas; Associate Director of Admissions for Support, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, and Commander, 44th Signal Battalion (Expeditionary), Grafenwoehr, Germany. Prior to assuming his role as Chief Information Officer and G6, Army National Guard, COL Wilson served as G6 for NATO Allied Land Command (LANDCOM) in Izmir, Turkey.

Colonel Wilson’s awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal, the Bronze Star Medal (with Oak Leaf Cluster (OLC)), the Meritorious Service Medal (5 OLC), the Army Commendation Medal (3 OLC), the Army Achievement Medal (3 OLC), the National Defense Service Medal (second award), the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the Kosovo Campaign Medal (campaign star), the Iraq Campaign Medal (4 campaign stars), the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon, the Overseas Service Ribbon (4), the NATO Medal (2), the Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal (OLC), the Army Superior Unit Award (2 OLC). He is also authorized to wear the Parachutist and Air Assault badges. He is a member of the Orders of Mercury (Signal) and Saint Barbara (Field Artillery), and an honorary member of the 502d Infantry Regiment.

Colonel Wilson is married to Nina from Memphis, Tennessee, and has a son, Charles (10), and two daughters, Eleanora (8) and Anna (6).

Mr. George E. Battistelli Jr. has served as a Department of the Army Civilian with the Army National Guard (ARNG) G6 Directorate since September 2014 serving as the Cyber Security Program Manager. In this role he is responsible for Cyber Security Program Development, Cyber Security Compliance and the Defensive Cyber Operations of the Army National Guard.

Mr. Battistelli began his career with the US Navy in 1999 serving as a Radioman and Information Systems Technician. In 2003 he deployed to the Persian Gulf with the USS Nimitz in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. Mr. Battistelli departed the Navy in 2006 with his final duty assignment supporting the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Office of the Chief Information Officer, at the Pentagon.

From 2006-2010, Mr. Battistelli worked as a Systems Engineer and Cyber Security Analyst for General Dynamics Information Technology securing Access Control and Intrusion Detection Systems at the Pentagon. In 2010, he began his career as a Federal Employee working for the Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA) as the Senior Information Assurance Officer. In this role, Mr. Battistelli was responsible for the development of the PFPA Information Assurance (IA) program and Computer Incident Response Team (CIRT). During this time, he accredited and secured the largest Access Control System in CONUS at both the Pentagon and during the buildout of the Mark Center. In 2012, Mr. Battistelli joined the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) working in the FAA Security Operations Center. In this role, he was responsible for the execution of the cyber protection, detection, and incident response for all Department of Transportation Entities (Federal Highway, Federal Railroad, etc...). In addition, he was responsible for conducting open source research pertaining to the latest viruses, worms, hacker tools, etc., and the latest technological advances in combating unauthorized access to information. In this role he was also responsible for coordinating cyber events and advanced threat information with the DHS/US-CERT and other federal agencies in a 24/7/365 cyber security facility.

Mr. Battistelli holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Management Information Systems from National-Louis University in Evanston, IL and a Master’s Degree in Cyber Security from Liberty University located in Lynchburg Virginia.
Through his career Mr. Battistelli has been credentialed as a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) and Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP).

Mr. Battistelli is married to wife Kammie and has a Step-son, Eriq (22), son Caleb (5) and three dogs.

As President and Chief Operating Officer at BlackBerry, Bryan Palma is responsible for the company’s BlackBerry Technology Solutions, Enterprise Software and Services, and Mobility Solutions operating units.

Palma has nearly 20 years of experience turning strategy into profit at some of the world’s largest and respected organizations.

Before joining BlackBerry, Palma was the Senior Vice President and General Manager of Cisco's $8B America's Customer Experience business unit where he led the development and execution of technical support, professional, managed, and subscription services across a global team of engineers, consultants, and customer success specialists.

Prior to Cisco, Bryan was the Vice President of Cyber and Security Solutions at Boeing, where he was responsible for the cyber security solutions portfolio, which included offensive cyber security, critical infrastructure protection, cyber security software, and managed security services. Bryan also served as Vice President of Service Delivery Operations at Hewlett Packard and PepsiCo’s first Chief Information Security Officer.

Before joining the private sector, Bryan was a special agent with the U.S. Secret Service where he helped pioneer efforts to combat cybercrime. As co-founder of the Agency’s Electronic Crimes Taskforce, he influenced the development of electronic crime task forces throughout the world.

Bryan holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Richmond, and master’s degrees from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business and the University of Maryland.

Jason Miller is an executive editor and reporter with Federal News Network. As executive editor, Jason helps direct the news coverage of the station and works with reporters to ensure a broad range of coverage of federal technology, procurement, finance and human resource news.As a reporter, Jason focuses mainly on technology and procurement issues, including cybersecurity, e-government and acquisition policies and programs.