Center for New American Security Establishes New Program on Technology and National Security

The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is proud to announce the creation of a new program on Technology and National Security, which will be led by Ben FitzGerald, the former Managing Director of Noetic Corporation, who joined CNAS on September 1.   The program will explore the nexus of strategy, technology and business to develop practical ideas that enable national security professionals in government and industry to capitalize on opportunities and mitigate risks associated with rapid technological change. The program will build on CNAS’ existing cyber security and internet freedom work while also exploring issues associated with manufacturing, technological innovation and the impact of technology on the humans who develop and execute nation security strategy.
 
Joining Mr. FitzGerald on the Technology and National Security Program team as adjunct senior fellows will be Bob Butler and Peter Levin.  Mr. Butler brings a wealth of experience in information technology, intelligence and national security to the program after 32 years of public and private sector work. Currently, he is Vice President of Government Strategies for IO, a privately held data center “builder.” He was previously the first Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy following a distinguished career in the Air Force.
 
Dr. Levin is the founder and CEO of Amida, an information technology company that focuses on data and data security. He was previously Senior Advisor to the Secretary and CTO at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Dr. Levin has led and founded several technology companies. He holds patents in chip design and GPS-based authentication, and his policy essays have appeared in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The Huffington Post, politico.com and on the White House website.     
 
In addition to serving as Program Director for the Technology and National Security Program, Mr. FitzGerald is a Senior Fellow at CNAS.  He has a wide variety of experience across strategy, technology and business domains. He has led strategic analysis and war gaming projects for a number of government organizations in the United States and abroad covering topics from conflict prevention to peacekeeping, the role of technology in future conflict and the future of the Marine Corps.  As Managing Director of Noetic Corporation, Mr. FitzGerald established the company’s U.S. presence.
 
The new Technology and National Security Program released its first report Game Changers: Disruptive Technology and U.S. Defense Strategy on September 27, 2013.  Written by Mr. FitzGerald, CNAS Vice President Shawn Brimley and Research Associate Kelley Sayler, the report discusses how the rapid diffusion of advanced technology throughout the world has the potential to challenge the U.S. technological advantage in defense capabilities.   The authors urge the United States to refrain from assuming that “its current advantages will continue in the absence of sustained attention to both policy and investment choices” and urge the nation to “redouble its focus on sustaining technological dominance.” 
 
Download copy of Game Changers: Disruptive Technology and U.S. Defense Strategy.
 
In drawing upon the findings of the Department of Defense’s NeXTech project that assessed the implications of emerging technologies on future warfare, the authors examine five key technologies with disruptive potential.  They describe the factors that explain why some innovations are disruptive while others are not and examine the potential implications these technologies have on U.S. defense strategy.  They make recommendations to ensure that the United States maintains its technological dominance for years to come, including congressional legislation requiring DOD to issue annual reports on defense research and development across the enterprise, the creation of a standing DOD next-generation technology task force, and initiation of a multiyear series of war games on how technological advances may alter military competition around the world.

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The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) is an independent and non partisan research institution that develops strong, pragmatic and principled national security and defense policies. CNAS leads efforts to help inform and prepare the national security leaders of today and tomorrow.