Northrop executive sees improvement in government's cyber buying

Mike Papay, chief information security officer at Northrop Grumman, said today he thinks the government is getting better at buying cybersecurity.

Speaking at an event sponsored by Bloomberg this morning, he said he's seeing plenty of new policy documents, including the Pentagon's cyber strategy, its guidance to program managers on the matter and the latest iteration of Better Buying Power.

“The strategy is going to drive the more rapid, agile acquisition,” Papay said. “We're starting to see a level of strategy at the top that will drive down to the lower” levels.

Still, Ryan Gillis, vice president of cybersecurity strategy and global policy at Palo Alto Networks and the former director of legislative affairs and cybersecurity policy at the National Security Council, described the acquisition system in place as “antiquated.”

“It's input focused,” he said, “as opposed to output focused.”

In particular, Gillis was critical of the lack of communication between various parts of the government trying to buy similar products and services.

“There is a long way to go structurally,” he told the audience.