Presenter

$ getent passwd brhodes
.
├─── name: Brad Rhodes
├──── org: 76th ORC, USAR
└─ social:
   └─ linkedin: in/brad-rhodes-1951ba7/

Experience

Brad Rhodes, Senior Manager at Accenture Federal Services in Denver, CO, holds numerous professional certifications and he has 25+ years experience in the military, government, and private sectors. Brad is a Veteran who continues to serve in the US Army Reserve as the G6/Chief Information Officer for the 76th Operational Response Command delivering communications for the Nation’s CBRNE response mission. Brad's major research includes utilizing Open Source capabilities to help organizations close security gaps, characterize their cyber operating environments, and gain visibility to stacks of data. He's been known to drown Lego people illustrating the reality of cyber effects.

Abstract

Despite the impact of cyber vulnerabilities, exploits, and attacks on a global scale it is still challenging for operators to convince leadership of the need to invest in the training and technologies to stay ahead of increasingly sophisticated threat actors. This is because leaders cannot actually "see" the results of cyber-attack firsthand. This is where simple kinetic cyber effects demonstrations come into play, providing a display of effects in the real world that leaders can actually see and touch. While only a simulation of attacks, the tangible aspects of the kinetic effects can deliver the "ah ha" moment leaders need to understand the need to focus on cyber operations.

The presentation provides an example of a working kinetic cyber demonstration capability, along with an overview the design methodology using inexpensive and open source tools. The presentation takes the audience through the story leading up to a cyber attack (pulled from the headlines) with kinetic effects. Finally, the cyber attack is demonstrated from beginning to end with the kinetic effects realized ultimately helping leaders grasp the potential impacts that threat actors can deliver in and through cyberspace.