HomeHottest 50L. Scott Parker

L. Scott Parker

Branch Chief, Infrastructure Security Division, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

As access to unmanned systems grows, the threat potential to vulnerable soft targets and critical infrastructure heats up. Branch Chief L. Scott Parker in the Infrastructure Security Division at the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency won a CISA Leadership Award this year for leading the first-ever CISA study on autonomous ground vehicles, which positioned CISA to support stakeholders in reducing risk from emerging attack vectors. To understand and address the threats to AGVs, CISA developed the Autonomous Ground Vehicle Security Guide: Transportation Systems Sector to provide organizations with information to enhance awareness of current AGV systems, a new taxonomy to characterize cyber-physical threats related to AGVs and recommended strategies to mitigate security risks at both the enterprise and asset levels.

As branch chief, Parker oversees various security programs and projects focused on threat prevention and mitigation, leads intra-agency working groups and committees to ensure a DHS-wide unity of effort, and drives the research and development of advanced technology to assist security personnel reduce the risk of targeted violence against soft targets. He previously served as section chief with a team responsible for enhancing the security and resilience of the nation’s critical infrastructure and soft targets/crowded places against Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), insider threats, vehicle ramming, chemical/biological threats, and complex coordinated attacks, leading development of the CISA Security of Soft Targets and Crowded Places Resource Guide and CISA’s instructional video for chemical attacks on soft targets, along with releasing the first CISA Industry Alert warning of the Chinese-manufactured UAS threat to sensitive information. He was previously a program lead for the DHS Office of Infrastructure Protection Insider Threat Mitigation Program and program manager for the DHS Active Shooter Preparedness Program.

Parker served more than 26 years in the U.S. Army, including leadership positions in the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM), U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC), and the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). He led operations in various locations including Germany, Panama, Guam, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Qatar, and Iraq. His awards include the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, and Defense Meritorious Service Medal.

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