Lt. Gen. William Hartman, deputy commander of the U.S. Cyber Command, delivered a keynote address at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on Nov. 21 and stressed the need for collaboration between government, academia and industry.
The Cyber Command said Thursday Hartman spoke at the first-ever USCYBERCOM Tech Talk and commended UW-Madison for its work on advancing cyber education and its involvement in the command’s Academic Engagement Network. Hartman also emphasized the importance of partnerships in boosting cybersecurity during his speech.
What Is the Academic Engagement Network?
The AEN is a collaboration between the military and over 130 academic institutions that was launched by USCYBERCOM in 2022. It is intended to tackle cybersecurity challenges by narrowing the gap between military and academic research through faculty workshops, the Cyber Research and Education Conference—or Cyber RECon—and other initiatives.
Hartman pointed out the significance of ongoing research and development to defend against emerging cyber threats. He also reinforced the need for recruiting, training and retaining the workforce to stay up-to-date with emerging technologies.
“People and partnerships are the most important assets we have. The talent we are building today in schools like the University of Wisconsin-Madison will shape the future of our cybersecurity workforce,” said Hartman.
“We’re not only building partnerships, we’re building the next generation of cyber leaders,” Hartman added.