George Mason University CyberSecurity Innovation Forum
Event Begins and Ends Posted 16 May 2022 5:56 AM

The George Mason University Cybersecurity Innovation Forum

Please join us for the George Mason University Cybersecurity Forum. The Forum will consist of a series of 15-20 minute case study presentations by cybersecurity experts and technology innovators followed by a Q&A. The focus of the events is on cybersecurity innovation including innovation rationale and motivation, technology, metrics, and lessons learned.

The speakers will be:

George Franz - Managing Director & Cybersecurity Lead for Defense, Accenture Federal Services

George’s talk will be: Redesigning Cybersecurity - The next wave of innovation in cyber demands that we rethink the intersection of people, process and technology. During this session, MG (R) George Franz, Accenture Federal Services’ Cybersecurity Lead for Defense, discusses the use of human-centered design to identify new approaches to securing the enterprise at scale.

Major General (Ret) George Franz is Cybersecurity Lead for Accenture Federal Services’ National Security business where he works with Accenture’s federal clients to help them better understand the specific threats they face, identify the ways that evolving threats can be mitigated, and give greater insight into the proven defensive tactics that can be implemented to improve the security posture of the agency within their existing mission, budget, and risk constraints.

As the former director of operations for U.S. Cyber Command, Franz led the planning and execution of global Department of Defense (DoD) and Interagency Offensive, Defensive and Global Network Cyberspace Operations. In this role, he oversaw the main DoD cybersecurity center, coordinating the network defensive activities of 52 military commands and governmental agencies comprising more than three million active users. He also led the development of a comprehensive global campaign for cybersecurity, increasing the effectiveness of DoD and interagency network defenses.

Prior to his role as director for U.S. Cyber Command, Franz served as Commanding General for the Army’s Intelligence and Security Command. His responsibilities in that role included directing worldwide multi-discipline intelligence operations to support seven combatant command theaters, as well as combat operations in support of the global counter-terrorism campaign.

Franz holds a master’s degree in Advanced Military Studies from the United States Army School of Advanced Military Studies, a master’s degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College, and a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Maine at Orono.

Frank B. Strickland Jr., Analytics & AI Leader, Leader Coach

Frank is the co-founder of aiLeaders, a boutique advisory firm that exists to help develop the missing component America needs to win the AI era, i.e., enough qualified analytics and AI leaders.

He is the co-author of the upcoming book: Winning the National Security AI Competition – A Practical Guide for Leaders.

Frank has 20 years of executive leadership experience in all three major sectors: public, private, and non-profit. During 22 years of public service, Frank helped lead several technology innovations including: evaluating and transitioning to production the nation’s first long endurance unmanned aerial system; delivering intelligence to the tactical edge using narrow and wide-brand technologies; agile prototyping of big data analytics; and designing the first wargame to quantify the value of information to military operations.

The Director of Central Intelligence awarded Frank the National Intelligence Medal of Achievement in recognition of these accomplishments. Frank was also the National Reconnaissance Office’s (NRO) Legislative Director, and a member of CIA’s Senior Intelligence Service, where he received the NRO’s Medals of Distinguished and Superior Service.

Leaving the public sector in 2002, Frank co-founded Edge Consulting, a firm that achieved national recognition for pioneering work in the use of analytics to quantify the value of intelligence to special and conventional military operations. Frank helped lead Edge from a start-up to significant year-over-year growth, culminating in an acquisition by the National Interest Security Corporation (NISC).

Frank has extensive teaching experience in government, industry, and academe. George Mason University students in two different tech programs have recognized Frank with the outstanding faculty award. He is a coach with the Center for Creative Leadership. Frank holds a BA in Business Management, MS in Technology Management, and has completed postgraduate course work in human and organizational learning.