Building Cybersecurity Ecosystems in the DoD with Chris Hughes

Defense Mavericks

This week, Ryan Connell sits down with cybersecurity expert Chris Hughes, CEO of Aquia, a veteran-owned cloud and cybersecurity digital services firm. Chris brings two decades of experience from the federal IT space, sharing insights on everything from AI adoption in the government to the importance of continuous ATO. Chris dives into the challenges and opportunities of experimenting with new technologies, the balance between security and usability, and the evolving landscape of cybersecurity compliance in the DoD. Whether you're a tech professional, a government contractor, or someone interested in the future of defense technology, this episode is packed with valuable perspectives and actionable takeaways.

TIMESTAMPS:

(0:49) Chris’s journey in federal IT and cyber

(2:25) Diving into cybersecurity practices

(4:33) Balancing “build vs. buy” in cybersecurity

(12:30) A deep dive on FedRAMP and ATO

(16:45) How to leverage AI for cybersecurity

(18:13) Navigating software supply chain security

(20:57) How to overcome software supply chain security challenges

(27:30) If Chris was king of Dod for the day, what would he change?

LINKS:

Follow Ryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-connell-8413a03a/

Follow Chris: https://www.linkedin.com/in/resilientcyber/

Aquia: https://www.aquia.us/

CDAO: https://www.ai.mil/

Tradewinds: https://www.tradewindai.com/