Ronald Keen, Increasing Dependency; Increasing Threat

Increasingly, the United States is becoming more and more dependent on Space-based technologies and systems. Our adversaries are well aware of this and have become much more aggressive in their attempts to understand, infiltrate and interfere with Space-based operations, while watching the corresponding impacts to ground-based critical infrastructure. Mr. Keen will discuss that increasing dependency and the associated cyber aspect, then extrapolate that into the upstream and downstream impacts to terrestrial critical infrastructure that occur as a result of Space-based events. Finally, he will discuss how the expanding presence of Space-based operations presents an increasing and dangerous cyber threat to both the Space-based and terrestrial-based critical infrastructure systems as they become even more co-dependent moving forward. About the speaker: Currently a Senior Advisor on Space and Cybersecurity within the National Risk Management Center, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Ronald Keen is a retired Air Force officer with an extensive background in intelligence and space systems operations, as well as critical infrastructure protection. Concluding a distinguished military career, Ron accepted the position as a Division Director in the Indiana State government directing research and testifying on issues within the utility regulatory environment with an emphasis on energy, cybersecurity and critical infrastructure. He accepted his current position with the Department after retiring from State government service. Ron earned his Bachelors at Southwest Texas State University and is a graduate of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University with a Masters in Aeronautical Science. A published author, Ron and his wife, Susan,have five children.