DITMAC employees participate in East and West coast training weeks

Courtesy Photo | DCSA personnel attend a presentation at West Coast insider threat training week. During the week, professionals completed the “Workplace Assessment of Violence Risk” training and assessment certification to utilize quantitative analysis in risk mitigation (DOD Courtesy Photo).  

CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES

08.12.2024

Courtesy Story

DOD Insider Threat Management and Analysis Center

Story by Charlotte Armstrong, DITMAC

DOD Insider Threat Management and Analysis Center (DITMAC) undertook bicoastal trainings in May and June to fortify its critical role in the insider threat enterprise. DITMAC members provide the Department of Defense assistance in capabilities to mitigate insider threat actions through awareness, readiness support, and early intervention.
"We focus on identifying risk at the earliest indication and we try to walk them off that path,” said William Pierce, Prevention, Assistance and Response (PAR) chief for the Eastern and Mid-Atlantic regions, in emphasizing the impact of preventative actions. “As risk behaviors progress, it becomes increasingly more difficult to prevent escalation into hostile actions.”
In 2022, the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) DITMAC personnel began working with local command teams to prevent insider threat through awareness of risk mitigation measures. DITMAC strives to prevent insider threat occurrences and leverages evaluations of personal predispositions, consultation with subject matter experts and coordination throughout the local installation.
The goal of the 1-week training sessions was to equip the new and existing personnel with the information, skills, and resources required to perform their mission. This year, the training focused on quantifiably analyzing risk of hostile and violent behavior, such as stalking, extremism, and bullying. Participants received training on the “Workplace Assessment of Violence Risk” certification to provide another tool to mitigate violent or hostile actions through identification of concerning behaviors.
These types of training sessions increase the functional capabilities of the insider threat team, facilitate information sharing and contribute to the effectiveness of the program. Additionally, participants heard from DITMAC leadership and a panel of representatives from the DITMAC’s Behavioral Threat Analysis Center (BTAC) to share updates on insider threat best practices and provide an opportunity to ask questions.
Participants often collaborate with functional experts trained in fields such as counterintelligence, law enforcement, employee relations, and psychology to support mitigation measures and decrease the risk of insider threat. The DITMAC utilizes the “Critical Pathway” model to identify how stressors, such as debt or psychological issues, can escalate to concerning behaviors that may be indicators of future hostile actions. The behavioral indicators are categorized into three levels of risk- low, moderate, and elevated- before progressing into hostile actions that threaten national security information or the cleared workforce.
Insider threat personnel exercise multiple methods and tools to mitigate risks, such as consultations, outreach, and threat/risk analysis. Using this analysis, the team formulates risk-based recommendations to brief members of the insider threat team which is unique and reflects the nuances of each case. Mitigation strategies may articulate resources the individual can benefit from, for example mental health or financial counseling. The functional experts work to deter an individual from progressing down the Critical Pathway by reviewing the unique parameters of each situation.
Prevention starts with identifying the personal predispositions that may contribute to threat escalation. These include questionable affiliations, medical issues, social media vulnerabilities, previous rule violations and clashes with authority, and others. Insider threat professionals work to mitigate the impact of these predispositions by promoting positive workplace culture. It is crucial that DOD personnel recognize their inherent personal predispositions and report concerning behaviors when and if it occurs. When predispositions compound with stressors, mitigation techniques must adjust to provide additional recommendations to assist the individual.
Trainings such as these are part of DITMAC’s effort to improve the quality of the insider threat enterprise through professionalization and standardization. The training facilitated collaboration within the DITMAC, creating opportunities to share their experiences and expertise. “This is a constant learning and morphing process,” Pierce said. “We are starting to identify best practices, trends and lessons learned.”

• Date Taken: 08.12.2024
• Date Posted: 08.12.2024 13:56
• Story ID: 478356
• Location: CALIFORNIA, US