| | November 20158CIOReviewCIO's Role has Greater Impact in the Information Age By Lt. Gen. Bill Bender, Chief Information Dominance and CIO, United States Air ForceTechnology has shifted from innovative conveniences to critical dependencies which affect every part of our lives: travel, commerce, media, medicine, the list goes on. Technological changes continue to occur at break-neck speeds. Historically, the locus of innovation was either focused on defense, or quickly retrofitted for military operations (airplanes, jet engines, missile technology). Through the Industrial Age, the Defense sector was on the leading edge of technological advances. However, as we transition to the Information Age, that locus of innovation has shifted from heavyweight defense contractors to tech savvy Silicon Valley startups. As the Chief Information Officer of a 620,000 member institution, I must establish policies and guidance to provision mission-essential technology develop expert proficiency among the workforce, and overcome challenges similar to those encountered by industry CIOs.Leadership: Today's CIO requires leadership in foresight and action, a special kind of leadership. CIOs must articulate a clear vision, develop agile processes, and encourage innovative behaviors in their workforce--all three are necessary if the CIO is to be successful. At the same time, CIOs must work hard to acquire new insights, develop ideas, turn those ideas into technologies and envision the system these technologies will operate in. One way we've standardized approaches within the Air Force IT enterprise is through the Service's Information Technology Governance (ITG) process. As ITG Board Chairperson, the CIO is the AF focal point for enterprise-level IT discussions and facilitates solutions to problems affecting the entire IT community. The ITG ensures IT solutions are implemented enterprise-wide in accordance with established standards. This construct allows IT-related issues to be addressed in a streamlined manner and allows CIO oversight of strategic priorities and projects related to IT. Finally, ITG enables stakeholder communication across the enterprise.Cybersecurity: Another concern is the cyber security challenge associated with providing for the nation's defense. Similar to industry, cyber vulnerabilities and the risks to mission success must be considered in every weapon system and platform technology, including: aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, radar systems, and guided missiles. The Air Force's ability to successfully execute its core missions is inextricably tied to its ability to fly, fight and win in a contested cyber domain. Cyber security, however, goes beyond networks and databases. Every switch, router, application, and stand-alone component creates an aperture that can be exploited by adversaries. The Lt. Gen. Bill Benderopinionin my
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