In this latest episode, from the AFCEA Emerging Leaders panel at TechNet Augusta 2026, learn about strengthening contractor and third-party cyber security to support C2/Counter C2 in Army war fighting.This episode will explore the current state of contractor and third-party risk management and strategies for protecting mission-critical technologies, as well as CMMC compliance and where it fits into securing the Army C2/counter C2 system supply chain.  Featuring Brian O’Connor, Founder and CEO of Darksaber Labs, and Jack Dempsey, Account Manager at Iron Bow Technologies.

In this episode, SIGNAL Media's host Evan Lynch speaks with Maj. Gen. Ryan Janovic, commanding general of the U.S. Army Cyber Center of Excellence and Fort Gordon, ahead of TechNet Augusta 2026.

Janovic discusses how lessons from modern conflicts, particularly Ukraine, are reshaping the Army's approach to cyber operations, electronic warfare and electromagnetic spectrum operations. He shares how the Cyber Center of Excellence is updating doctrine, transforming training programs and preparing the U.S. Army to operate in increasingly contested and technologically complex environments.The conversation also explores:

• Why the electromagnetic spectrum has become a defining battlefield domain
• How the Army is modernizing command and control through the C2 Counter-C2 portfolio
• Emerging applications of artificial intelligence in cyber and signal operations
• The importance of open architecture and rapid technology adoption
• Key themes attendees can expect at TechNet Augusta 2026
• How Fort Gordon is evolving as a hub for cyber, signal, and national security missions

Listen now for a forward-looking discussion on the technologies, doctrines, and operational changes shaping the future battlefield.

In our latest Disruptive by Design episode, repurposed from the Emerging Leaders panel at TechNet Cyber 2026 in Baltimore, experts discuss unmanned aerial systems (UAS) and counter-UAS (C-UAS), which play a fundamental role in today’s joint force operations.

Discussions will focus on the implementation of core security principles such as Zero Trust (ZT) and Secure by Design (SbD), and Privacy by Design (PbD) to protect C2 platforms against link compromise and GPS spoofing, embed AI accelerators into onboard computing, and establish collective security that effectively balances cryptographic verification with modular open architecture standards in a decentralized environment.

In the final episode of our Disruptive by Design: Intelligence Edition, guest host Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Bob Ashley, former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and current member of AFCEA's Intelligence Committee, leads a conversation on agentic AI and the future of intelligence analysis.

Featuring:

Neil Wiley, former U.S. Navy officer who held prominent roles at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the Defense Intelligence Agency.

Linda Wiessgold, former Central Intelligence Agency officer and intelligence briefer to President George W. Bush. CIA’s Deputy Director for Analysis from 2020 to 2023. Now teaches at Texas A&M’s Bush School and serves on the CIA Officers Memorial Foundation board.

Staffan Truvé, CTO and Co-Founder of Recorded Future. He has co-founded more than 15 research-based technology startups. From 2005 to 2009, he was the CEO of the Swedish Institute of Computer Science (SICS).

In this special episode of Disruptive by Design: Intelligence Edition, guest host Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Bob Ashley, former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency and current member of AFCEA's Intelligence Committee, leads a candid, high-level conversation on one of the most consequential shifts in modern warfare: the rise of autonomy and artificial intelligence.Joined by two leading voices in the field, Paul Scharre, executive vice president at CNAS and author of Four Battlegrounds, and retired Lt. Gen. Jack Shanahan, former director of the Pentagon’s Joint AI Center, the discussion cuts through hype to explore what autonomy really means on the battlefield today—and where it’s headed.Grounded in real operational experience and policy insight, this special episode offers a sober, nuanced look at how AI is transforming the character of war—and why getting the human-machine balance right will define the future of global security.Stay tuned for the third and final episode in this series released on June 29.

AFCEA International’s Intelligence Committee takes over the Disruptive by Design podcast for a special intelligence 3-part series exploring the technologies and challenges shaping national security.

In this first episode, guest host Ret. Lt. Gen. Bob Ashley, former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, dives into the rapidly evolving world of quantum technology and its implications for intelligence, defense and global competition. We've heard on repeat that AI is going to change everything, but we haven't heard too much conversation about quantum. Quantum is no longer theoretical—it’s approaching a tipping point. Ashley sits down with two leading experts to unpack what quantum really means for national security, from breaking encryption to reshaping warfare. As breakthroughs accelerate and that global competition—especially with China—intensifies, the panel explores why the next 3–5 years could define who leads in this high‑stakes technology race, and what happens if the United States falls behind.

Tune in as Ashley is joined by Dr. Costanza Vidal Bustamante, fellow with the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security, and Dr. Mihir Bhaskar, senior vice president for global research and development at IonQ.

In this special #DisruptivebyDesign episode, SIGNAL Media reporters Evan Lynch and Nuray Taylor sit down with Lt. Gen. Paul Stanton, Director of DISA and Commander of the Department of War Cyber Defense Command. Stanton discusses the latest developments coming out of his agency, ranging from recruitment and retention to the mission network as a service rollout. Stanton is scheduled to speak at AFCEA International’s TechNet Cyber, taking place June 2-4 in Baltimore, MD.

Join us at TechNet Cyber: https://events.afcea.org/afceacyber26/Public/enter.aspx

Reporters

Evan Lynch - [email protected] 

Nuray Taylor - [email protected] 

Contributing Reporters

George I. Seffers

Kimberly Underwood

Producer

Sandra Jontz

Editor

Lydia Antonio-Vila

In this episode of Disruptive by Design, we bring you a compelling panel discussion from the AFCEA Rocky Mountain Cyberspace Symposium (RMCS26), centered on a critical yet often overlooked driver of mission success: relationship building.

Moderated by Maj. Gen. John W. Maluda, USAF (Ret.), the panel brings together a diverse group of leaders, including David Stickley, Former Services Executive at DISA and National Guard Bureau Advisor, U.S. Cyber Command; Col. Hansang Bae, USA (Ret.); Col. Von Gardner, USAF (Ret.) and Cadet Emile Olivier, USAF Academy.

Featuring an introduction by Alisha Kelly Faulkner, Program Chair, RMCS 2026 and VP of Membership, AFCEA Rocky Mountain Chapter.

In this recorded webinar from January 2026, hear directly from Emerging Leaders (EL) panelists representing AFCEA’s Alamo, Bethesda, Bonn, Hawaii and San Diego chapters as they discuss their personal journeys, lessons learned and how mentorship has shaped their professional paths.

Learn more about AFCEA’s EL program: https://www.afcea.org/emerging-leaders

Episode 1 of our Emerging Leaders series features a recorded webinar with Parker Woods, an Emerging Leaders Advisory Council (ELAC) member. Tune in as Parker gives an overview of the Emerging Leaders program and shares the ins and outs of how to leverage this community as you build your career. Listen today!

Learn more about AFCEA's Emerging Leaders program: https://www.afcea.org/emerging-leaders