DCSA - Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency
09/16/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/16/2024 15:02
DCSA joins delegation to Australia and strengthens ties with counterparts
The Fourth of July, marked by parades and patriotic gatherings, is the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. However, it's also the anniversary of another event with major global impact. On July 41918, U.S. and Australian troops fought side by side for the first time at the Battle of Hamel in France's Western Front. Since then, the two nations have celebrated a storied military history together.
Established more than 100 years later, AUKUS - a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States - builds upon longstanding ties. The strategic alliance aims to ensure peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific Region by increasing information sharing and technology sharing, as well as foster deeper integration of security and defense-related science, technology, industrial bases and supply chains. In support of AUKUS and its crucial role in global security, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) is seeking to create strong ties with its Australian peers.
In June 2024, DCSA representatives from Industrial Security (IS) and Counterintelligence (CI) traveled to Canberra, Australia, to meet face-to-face with their counterparts. The representatives joined a Defense Technology Security Administration (DTSA)-sponsored delegation to deliver briefings and examine the similarities and differences between their respective security programs.
Most notably for the IS employees, the visit coincided with the Australian government's first cleared industry day forum. The event's agenda boasted a full day of program updates, cyber security updates and AUKUS Pillar 1 (nuclear submarines) technology briefings.
DCSA Assistant Director for Industrial Security Matthew Redding briefed at the inaugural event attended by over 400 of the 1,500 Australian industrial firms. Redding provided a broad overview of the DCSA mission and noted the ways the agency supports DTSA to establish equivalency for foreign security programs. He also emphasized the importance of integrating Australian and U.S. security programs to the allied industrial base.
"When I was a Soldier, our military teams deployed with Australian forces into combat multiple times," Redding said. "Knowing how each [other] train, operate and communicate was crucial in combat operations. I think this is a similar situation where our national policy and practice have to be well understood so that both nations can protect sensitive information and ensure our personnel security, industrial security, counterintelligence and security training procedures are nearly equal to each other. It certainly reduces a threat actor's ability to divide and conquer our industry teams as they build complex and sensitive weapons."
Following the successful industry day event, meetings and discussions continued through the week. DCSA representatives were eager to learn relevant information about Australia's defense industry and its posture on industrial and personnel security, counterintelligence and insider threats.
DCSA met with its Australian counterparts and discussed unclassified and classified topics related to technology, threat actors, cyber security, security training and personnel security that will shape the AUKUS partnership in the coming years.
Collaborative efforts are already underway as a direct result of the trip. DCSA-CI is working closely with the Australian Defense Security Division to produce threat publications and is incorporating AUKUS requirements in their FY25 Operating Directive and Program of Analysis.
IS Entity Vetting is also incorporating AUKUS requirements in its own analytic and risk treatment considerations. Looking ahead, IS will create a pathway to share insider threat and threat actor best practices and is seeking opportunities to share beneficial resources for industry and security training.
Entity Vetting Chief Matthew Kitzman explained, "The United States is significantly more developed and refined in certain industrial security practices due to its relative size and time operating in this domain. Sharing best practices, or better yet, creating structures that permit reciprocity allow us to serve the collective defense and security."
The representatives from IS and CI all agreed the trip was a great success, with particularly constructive and practical engagements throughout. The opportunity to examine the shared mission and challenges both parties face on opposite sides of the globe was greatly appreciated.
Reflecting on the success of the trip, Office of Counterintelligence and Insider Threat Analysis Division Chief Joel West summarized the collaborative effort saying, "DCSA and our Australian counterparts established a constructive rapport that should be built upon. Both sides were candid about strengths and areas to improve. Information sharing was key…shared practices and improved intelligence sharing strengthens [our] common interest: protecting Western defense technologies."
Established more than 100 years later, AUKUS - a trilateral security partnership between Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States - builds upon longstanding ties. The strategic alliance aims to ensure peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific Region by increasing information sharing and technology sharing, as well as foster deeper integration of security and defense-related science, technology, industrial bases and supply chains. In support of AUKUS and its crucial role in global security, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) is seeking to create strong ties with its Australian peers.
In June 2024, DCSA representatives from Industrial Security (IS) and Counterintelligence (CI) traveled to Canberra, Australia, to meet face-to-face with their counterparts. The representatives joined a Defense Technology Security Administration (DTSA)-sponsored delegation to deliver briefings and examine the similarities and differences between their respective security programs.
Most notably for the IS employees, the visit coincided with the Australian government's first cleared industry day forum. The event's agenda boasted a full day of program updates, cyber security updates and AUKUS Pillar 1 (nuclear submarines) technology briefings.
DCSA Assistant Director for Industrial Security Matthew Redding briefed at the inaugural event attended by over 400 of the 1,500 Australian industrial firms. Redding provided a broad overview of the DCSA mission and noted the ways the agency supports DTSA to establish equivalency for foreign security programs. He also emphasized the importance of integrating Australian and U.S. security programs to the allied industrial base.
"When I was a Soldier, our military teams deployed with Australian forces into combat multiple times," Redding said. "Knowing how each [other] train, operate and communicate was crucial in combat operations. I think this is a similar situation where our national policy and practice have to be well understood so that both nations can protect sensitive information and ensure our personnel security, industrial security, counterintelligence and security training procedures are nearly equal to each other. It certainly reduces a threat actor's ability to divide and conquer our industry teams as they build complex and sensitive weapons."
Following the successful industry day event, meetings and discussions continued through the week. DCSA representatives were eager to learn relevant information about Australia's defense industry and its posture on industrial and personnel security, counterintelligence and insider threats.
DCSA met with its Australian counterparts and discussed unclassified and classified topics related to technology, threat actors, cyber security, security training and personnel security that will shape the AUKUS partnership in the coming years.
Collaborative efforts are already underway as a direct result of the trip. DCSA-CI is working closely with the Australian Defense Security Division to produce threat publications and is incorporating AUKUS requirements in their FY25 Operating Directive and Program of Analysis.
IS Entity Vetting is also incorporating AUKUS requirements in its own analytic and risk treatment considerations. Looking ahead, IS will create a pathway to share insider threat and threat actor best practices and is seeking opportunities to share beneficial resources for industry and security training.
Entity Vetting Chief Matthew Kitzman explained, "The United States is significantly more developed and refined in certain industrial security practices due to its relative size and time operating in this domain. Sharing best practices, or better yet, creating structures that permit reciprocity allow us to serve the collective defense and security."
The representatives from IS and CI all agreed the trip was a great success, with particularly constructive and practical engagements throughout. The opportunity to examine the shared mission and challenges both parties face on opposite sides of the globe was greatly appreciated.
Reflecting on the success of the trip, Office of Counterintelligence and Insider Threat Analysis Division Chief Joel West summarized the collaborative effort saying, "DCSA and our Australian counterparts established a constructive rapport that should be built upon. Both sides were candid about strengths and areas to improve. Information sharing was key…shared practices and improved intelligence sharing strengthens [our] common interest: protecting Western defense technologies."