The Procurement Decision
From the Fall 2026 Issue

The Procurement Decision: Where Cybersecurity Governance Begins

Author(s):

Bobbie Stempfley, Vice President | Dell Technologies , Former CIO, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)

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

Henry J. Sienkiewicz, Adjunct Faculty | Georgetown and George Washington Universities, Former CIO, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA)

Keith K. Nakasone, Independent Consultant, ProcureTech Consulting, LLC

Every significant cybersecurity incident begins with a trust decision. Long before an adversary exploits a vulnerability, before a System Owner assumes operational responsibility, before an Authorizing Official accepts residual risk, and before