The Department of Defense’s Office of the Chief Information Officer has launched a new office to serve as a centralized hub for defense and academic cyber activities.
The Cyber Academic Engagement Office will be led by Mark Gorak, who will take on the position of director for CAEO while also remaining the principal director for resources and analysis for the DOD OCIO, the Pentagon said Wednesday.
Gorak’s new duties will include facilitating academic engagement programs for the department, analyzing the performance of cyber educational efforts and evaluating new programs. Previously, he was deputy director of the Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, which was integrated into what is now known as the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office.
According to the DOD, this office is expected to enhance the nation’s cyber posture while supporting force readiness goals. The CAEO is the DOD’s latest cyber-related office following the opening of the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy in March.