Associate Director,
Computer Network Operations Technology
ASD(R&E), Research Directorate,
Information Systems & Cyber Security

Biography:

Joshua S. Caplan, CISSP, is the Integrated Cyber Operations Portfolio Manager (Acting) at Space and Naval Warfare (SPAWAR) Systems Center (SSC) Pacific, the US Navy’s premier research, development, acquisition, test, and evaluation (RDAT&E) facility delivering integrated Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (C4ISR), Information Operations (IO), Enterprise Information Services (EIS), and Space capabilities to the joint defense, homeland security, and federal government communities. In his current role, Mr. Caplan coordinates the Integrated Cyber Operations business portfolio across Team SPAWAR. Portfolio elements include cyber operations research and development (R&D), operational cyber support activities, cyber systems engineering, and cyber systems acquisition lifecycle support.

Additionally, Mr. Caplan is the United States (US) National Leader (NL) of The Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP) Command, Control, Communications, and Information Systems (C3I) Group Technical Panel 11 (TP11), which fosters R&D collaboration in Information Assurance and Defensive Information Warfare (DIW) among Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. As US NL of TP11, Mr. Caplan coordinates the R&D perspectives of various US entities supporting the IA and DIW business areas, including the military services and federally funded research and development centers (FFRDCs).

Mr. Caplan recently completed an embedded assignment at the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering (ASD(R&E)), Office of the Director for Research, Information Systems and Cyber Security Directorate, serving as the Associate Director for Computer Network Operations (CNO) Technology. In this position, Mr. Caplan performed a vast array of activities, including development and implementation of policy, technical, and planning functions, program reviews, budget formulation, technology assessments, and staff support to other elements of the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), while assisting in the overall strategic planning, assessment, and defense of the Department of Defense (DoD) cyber science and technology area.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Caplan served as a US Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) on the island nation of Grenada in the West Indies. His activities ranged from working directly with high-level civil servants and ministers of government in improving information and communication technology (ICT) policy to assisting community members in rebuilding their lives after the devastation wrought by the passage of Hurricane Ivan.

Mr. Caplan holds a Master of Science degree in Information Security Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University and a Bachelor of Science degree in Commerce from the University of Virginia, and he maintains the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) credential in good standing.