This is a special 90-minute bonus episode of the Cognitive Crucible.

On October 29th 2020, IPA and AFCEA's ALAMO Chapter co-hosted a Virtual Panel on Combatting Disinformation in a Competitive Information Environment. The star-studded panel of senior government personnel and thought leaders spotlights the current pivot toward a convergence approach to improve our competitive advantage across the strategic and operational environments, most specifically in the cyber-enabled information space.

The event slide deck is available here.

Across the National and Defense enterprise, agencies and organizations are reprioritizing and reorganizing to more effectively compete in a competitive and complex global information environment. The Nation is being increasingly impacted by cutting-edge technology and sophisticated influence activities to shape perceptions, decisions and behavior.

The discussion is framed by the recently released Defense Science Board study regarding global competition in the information environment, includes ongoing efforts, and as well as new initiatives to support USG and DOD priorities in cognitive security such establishing a Cognitive Security Proving Ground, re-establishing the Phoenix Challenge information operations conference series, and discussion of the newly-established Principal Information Operations Advisor to the Secretary of Defense.

Moderated by Mr. Austin Branch; the star-studded panelists are:

• Ms. Lynne Patrick, Technical Director at Sixteenth Air Force Joint Base San Antonio
• Dr. Brian Pierce, Visiting Research Scientist at the Applied Research Laboratory for Intelligence and Security (ARLIS)
• LTG (RET.) Ed Cardon, Former Commander of US Army Cyber Command, and Commander JTF ARES
• Mr. Rob "Bus" Bussian, Director for Cyber and Strategic Enabling in the Concepts, Development and Management Office under the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force
• Mr. Bob Pearson, Social media expert, author, professor, digital consultant
• Mr. Joe Kelly, Applied Research Lab for Intelligence and Security and President of Pointweaver, LLC

For more information, please contact us at [email protected].

Or, you can connect directly with The Cognitive Crucible podcast host, John Bicknell on LinkedIn.