Page 44 - FCW, October 2017

Christopher T. Crogan
Cyber Systems Engineer, Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division, Newport
Department of the Navy
Fresh out of college, Christopher Crogan began making his mark as a cyber systems engineer at the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, R.I.
“I’m always intrigued and amazed at how Chris hits the deck running in an area that’s so important to the Navy right now — cybersecurity,” said Capt. Michael Coughlin, the center’s commanding officer. “He’s only been with us two years and just from Day One was making a positive impact, expanding the advantage.”
Crogan, who graduated from
the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in 2015, has contributed to efforts to secure Navy systems, including the Undersea Warfare Combat Systems Department’s training programs, and assisted
in a larger effort to assess the
risk management framework of
the Strategic Systems Program’s Information Systems Security Manager.
“Every component aboard our aircraft, ships and submarines needs to be secure,” Coughlin said. “We specialize in undersea warfare, and the work Chris performs is vital
to ensure our submarine combat systems are secure and can deploy on time.”
Crogan also led efforts to implement an encryption plan for unmanned aircraft systems and
is now assigned to support the Submarine Warfare Federated Tactical Systems’ technical design agent for the Navy’s Program Executive Office.
“In the Navy, we like the work, but we also like the opportunity to make an immediate impact,” Coughlin said, adding that Crogan clearly has the ability to do that.
— Lauren C. Williams
He is a “young, fun-loving, happy- go-lucky guy with a baby face who’s looking to balance hard work with good fun,” Sardar said of Desai, an avid soccer and basketball player. “He’s a very humble guy in that he knows when to take good advice but also knows when to push to get things done.”
Desai is fostering widespread change in the cybersecurity world by partnering with other agencies and contributing to committees geared toward promoting innovation. “He brings passion and energy to the cybersecurity domain,” Sardar said.
— Lauren C. Williams
Mittal Desai
Chief Information Security Officer
Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
A great chief information security officer doesn’t just have technical know-how, but the social grace to build relationships and encourage even the most reluctant team leader to implement cybersecurity policies.
“Being a CISO in a federal agency is tough because you’re setting policy and regulations for the agency when you don’t have operational control,” said Sanjay Sardar, vice president of advanced analytics at SAIC. Agencies have to follow those policies and make changes as they go, which means “people have to trust you and like you enough to go the extra mile.”
Mittal Desai, CISO at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, has that “likability factor that gives him an edge in building relationships,” Sardar added.
Desai led initiatives to increase visibility into network systems
and bolster protection of endpoint network devices, which led FERC to investigate 70 percent more potential incidents.
Marc C. Harrell
Director, Federal
Jive Software
In a world where budget uncertainty and shrinking procurements have become commonplace, pushing forward IT solutions for government programs has become more difficult.
In that pressurized environment, Marc Harrell delivers new-age
IT solutions for agencies the old- fashioned way: by meeting people, picking up the phone and cultivating — and maintaining — relationships.
“He works with people for the
long term, not just the transaction,” Jive Software CEO Elisa Steele said. “Marc is one of my favorite sales leaders and field leaders to work with. When you’re working with some of the most important organizations in the world, you have to really know your stuff.”
24 October 2017 FCW.COM