From the Winter 2026 Issue

From the Publisher

Author(s):

Karen Austin, CEO, United States Cybersecurity Magazine

Greetings! Welcome to the Winter 2026 issue of United States Cybersecurity Magazine!  As always, we extend our gratitude to our sponsors, contributors, and readers who make this publication possible. Your commitment to advancing cybersecurity ensures … Read more

From the Winter 2026 Issue

Agentic Threat-Informed Defense for Secure Operational Control (TIDSOC): An Imperative

Author(s):

Alessandro Azzaro, Independent Writer,

Zaki Mohammed, Cybersecurity Researcher, PromAItheon ICSec, Inc.

Introduction The trajectory of urban development is increasingly characterised by a transition from smart automation towards operational autonomy (Cugurullo, 2020). The operational backbone of modern society—spanning energy grids, water treatment facilities, power grids, manufacturing plants … Read more

From the Winter 2026 Issue

The ATO Bottleneck: Rethinking Responsibility and Enabling Automation

Author(s):

Dr. Ray A. Letteer, DSc, Former Director, Operations Risk Assessment, Office of the DoD Chief Information Officer Former CISO/Authorizing Official (AO), United States Marine Corps

Henry J. Sienkiewicz, Faculty, Former CIO, DISA, Georgetown and George Washington Universities

The pace of the Authorization to Operate (ATO) process has long been a source of frustration and lost productivity. Technology can only make a difference if it is deployed. Yet, the pace is rarely the … Read more

From the Winter 2026 Issue

Governing Complexity in the Age of AI: Operationalizing the Unified Linkage Model (ULM)

Author(s):

Henry J. Sienkiewicz, Faculty, Former CIO, DISA, Georgetown and George Washington Universities

Executive Summary Artificial intelligence (AI) has outgrown the control models once used to govern it. Checklists and perimeters cannot manage the systemic risks emerging from interconnected AI ecosystems. The Unified Linkage Model (ULM) provides a … Read more

From the Winter 2026 Issue

CMMC Level 2 Self-Assessment vs. Certification Assessment: What’s the Difference—and Which Should You Choose?

Author(s):

Claudine Adams, President & CEO, ArCybr Inc.

Lauren Beward, Director of Business Development, ArCybr

As the Department of War (DoW) advances the rollout of CMMC 2.0, members of the Defense Industrial Base (DIB) are working to understand the various certification levels and requirements. For contractors handling Controlled Unclassified Information … Read more