It’s no longer a secret: nations spy on one another in cyberspace. Meanwhile, cyber crime is growing. The federal government is trying to find its way in this swarm of cyberthreats. Retired Army Lt. Gen. John Dubia is in the thick of the effort. He is executive vice president of the Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association.

If the defense and intelligence establishments run on software, somebody has to develop that software. But software development in the federal government is changing radically — more commercial, more fixed price, more use of open standards and more agile. Edward Grimes, president of the Maryland company SW Complete and president of the Central Maryland Chapter of AFCEA, has long experience in federal software development.

Cybersecurity is about bits and bytes, and keeping the bad ones off your network. But it’s also about people, those you can trust and have the skills needed to protect your agency’s online assets. Vince Patton, vice president for Homeland Security Programs at AFCEA International, has worked the cyber question from both the government and industry sides.

Government cybersecurity professionals have a third element they need to think about after technology and people. It’s the legal aspect. Christina Ayiotis, who teaches information policy in the master’s program at George Washington University’s Computer Science Department, is trying to fill that gap.