Twenty Years LaterPerspectives from an AFIT Graduate

Corey D. King, CISSP, CISM

Southwest Research Institute

Agenda

Personal Background

Themes & Threads

Advantages of an AFIT Education

Example Application Areas

Critical Knowledge & Skills for Systems Engineers

Conclusion

Personal BackgroundMilitary

BS Aerospace Engineering, AF 2Lt, 1984 14FTW

– pilot training Lowry Technical Training Center

– Undergraduate Space Training 6MWS

– Ground-based missile warning 16SURS

– Ground-based space surveillance and intelligence collection Air Force Institute of Technology

– MS Space Operations HQ Air Force Space Command

– Passive Space Surveillance System Phillips Laboratory

– Satellite Assessment Center

Personal BackgroundCivilian

Trident Data Systems Technical individual contributor to Vice President

L-3 Network Security Co-founder and Vice President, Americas

Symantec Sales, marketing, business development, consulting,

technical evangelism

Southwest Research Institute Research and Development management/leadership

Themes &ThreadsFrom One Career

Technology changes and evolvesToday’s innovation is tomorrow’s doorstopKnowledge of technologies is useful in the

short termKnowledge of fundamental principles is

critical in the long term

Opportunities emerge unexpectedlyFortune favors the prepared mind“Flexibility is the key to air power”

Themes &ThreadsFrom One Career

“Systems Thinking” is an essential toolA system is whatever you decide it is

– Linked technologies– Operational processes– Teams of people with defined goals

Systems engineering applies in many contexts– Technical & non-technical– Budget-based & margin-based– Government & commercial industry

Fundamental principles + systems thinking = success

– “F = ma, and you can’t push on a rope”

Advantages From An AFIT Education

Solid grounding/refresh in the fundamentals Mathematics, physics, quantitative methods,

scientific/engineering principles, system engineering processes…

Provides tools in the toolkit, but also provides a structured way of thinking and an appreciation for methodology

Multidisciplinary study No real-world problem stands alone Practice in choosing the right tools at the right time

– “I’ve got a hammer; that must be a nail” Experience in integrating diverse disciplines

Advantages From An AFIT Education

Relevant challenge problems and access to users

Elicitation of requirements, definition/validation of use cases, vetting of concepts by operators

Helps avoid the “ivory tower syndrome”

Practical application during thesis research Not just an exercise for a grade Helping to equip the warfighter, push the boundaries

of knowledge, innovate “Practicing the art of the possible”

Example Application Areas

Cyber-physical systems Electric smart grid and smart critical infrastructure systems Network-connected SCADA systems Kinetic/non-kinetic effects integration

Information systems-of-systems The intelligence analysis problem – finding a needle in a

stack of needles Situational awareness in an information war Info-war battle damage assessment

Meta-management of info systems Managing the management system Standards development, validation, conformance Performance metrics, testing,

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SwRI ExampleiNET Program

iNET: integrated Network-Enhanced Telemetry Multi-force program to support all DoD test ranges Developing net-centric standard architecture for military Test & Evaluation (T&E) Extending the network from the ground to the flight test articles

SwRI role Refining test article, vehicle network, and system management architectures Meta-data modeling Developing standards for test article, system management, and meta-data Validating architecture and standards through simulation and lab experimentation

Image credit: iNET Program

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SwRI ExampleSmart Grid Security

Advanced security testing Power analysis for key discovery Hardware attacks such as

removing chip covers Developing vulnerability exploits

Security analysis of smart grid systems and communications

Reverse engineering Penetration testing Threat and risk assessment

Critical Knowledge & Skills for Systems Engineers

Practical information systems experience Networking, info system integration, common tools

and techniques

Reverse engineering and vulnerability assessment

For building resilient systems– Component and system failure modes– Exploit development

Requirements process knowledge Elicitation and validation of user requirements Development of derived requirements

Critical Knowledge & Skills for Systems Engineers

Test and evaluation knowledgeUnit, subsystem, system, acceptance testing

methodologiesRequirements traceability and test plan

developmentExperimental design (research-oriented)

Prototyping and rapid application development

Proof of concept developmentSystem modeling (model-based techniques)

Critical Knowledge & Skills for Systems Engineers

Ability to learn new material and apply it rapidly Knowledge is important, but… “Learning how to learn” is essential Project work, team problem solving, competitions and

academic exercises

Speaking and writing Communicate and advocate systems concepts

– Clearly and effectively– Multiple levels of detail (elevator pitch to seminar)

Writing – write constantly, edit mercilessly Speaking – practice at every opportunity:

– prepared, extemporaneous, impromptu

Conclusions

Requires both science and art Command of the technical Comfort with the intuitive

Systems engineering happens everywhere Systems engineering principles inform and support

most activities Science, engineering, business, military ops,

leadership, management…

Good systems engineering creates resiliency Secure Reliable Available