The Department of Defense’s (DoD) Office of the Chief Information Officer (CIO) established a new office that seeks to bolster the partnership between the department and academia about cyber defense efforts, the Pentagon announced on Wednesday.
The Cyber Academic Engagement Office (CAEO) — mandated by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) — will function as the centralized hub facilitating cyber-related collaborations between the DoD and academic institutions nationwide.
Mark Gorak, currently the principal director for resources and analysis, will dual-hat and assume the responsibilities as director for the CAEO effective immediately.
“Mr. Gorak remains committed to the DoD’s overarching mission of Force readiness and sees this new position as a meaningful next step in the process of fortifying the nation’s cyber posture for current and future generations,” the DoD’s CIO office announced in a LinkedIn post.
In his new role, Gorak will spearhead various initiatives to enhance cyber education and readiness within the DoD. This includes coordinating and allocating resources for covered academic engagement programs, conducting continuous evaluations of cyber-related educational endeavors, and formulating comprehensive policies and procedures to monitor and assess the performance of these programs.
According to the department, the CAEO is the next step in the DoD’s ongoing effort to fortify “the nation’s cyber posture for current and future generations.”
