Pat Host
The number of internet-connected electronic devices, and the data they transmit, seems to grow by the day. A Department of Defense unit is exploring how it can leverage technologies such as AI and machine learning to take advantage of this data to fight cybercrime and process information faster and more effectively.
Lam Nguyen, chief scientist for the DOD Cyber Crime Center, or DC3, said data being exchanged between devices provides investigators clues.
“My smart watch might have talked to your home security system,” Nguyen said in a GovCIO article. “That is very tangible evidence that we can collect if we know to collect it, and if we know what to do with it once it’s been collected.”
Lam Nguyen is one of the DOD speakers at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Cyber Summit on May 15 at the Marriott Fairview Park in Falls Church, Virginia. This GovCon-focused event is your chance to learn from Nguyen and hear what DC3 has planned for 2025. Sign up today!
What Is ENSITE?
DC3 in the fall created a pilot for the Enhanced Network Sensor & Intelligent Threat Enumeration, a.k.a. ENSITE. This is a cybersecurity effort leveraging real-time threat intelligence with cutting-edge commercial technologies to spot dangerous cyber activity targeting defense industrial base companies.
Through bespoke installation and “dedicated support,” ENSITE helps secure the networks of participating companies, which are provided options for both virtual and physical deployment. ENSITE leverages a combination of machine learning models, AI and advanced analytics that include behavior-, rule- and signature-triggered detections to identify new and emerging cyber threats.
Sensors survey network traffic and alert a participant-specific dashboard. This provides a holistic view of incidents while data is ingested, standardized and supplemented to allow analysis and threat mapping to a MITRE ATT&CK framework. MITRE ATT&CK is a repository of cyber adversary behavior and taxonomy for adversarial actions across their lifecycle.
“We’re going out there, we’re putting sensors out there, and then we’re using AI and machine learning to help us analyze that data,” Nguyen said in another GovCIO article. “If you work in the cyber field, you understand that it is a vast and almost unmanageable amount of data.”
What Critical Technologies Does ENSITE Cover?
ENSITE looks to deliver scalable cybersecurity focused on critical defense technologies listed in the DOD Critical Programs and Technology List and other important key and emerging technology areas. These include directed energy, hypersonics, and integrated sensing and cyber. ENSITE was developed to help small- to medium-sized defense industrial base companies by providing personalized deployments and focused support for participants.
How DC3 Contributes to DOD Missions
DC3 supplies multimedia and digital forensics, specialized cyber guidance, technical services development and cyber analytics for a wide variety of DOD missions. These include: cybersecurity and critical infrastructure protection, law enforcement and counterintelligence, and document and media exploitation, among others.
Lesley Bernys became executive director of DC3 in December. He replaced Jude Sunderbruch, who retired in June.
Nguyen is just one among an impressive lineup of elite DOD officials and national security experts speaking at the Potomac Officers Club’s 2025 Cyber Summit on May 15. This will be a rewarding day of discussion for GovCon executives. Don’t miss out!
