SAVANNAH, Ga. – U.S. Space Force Lt. Col. Megan Belger, the inaugural commander of the 15th Cyberspace Squadron for Space Delta 15 and the director of Command, Control, Communications, and Computers (C4) services for the National Space Defense Center, delivered a keynote address to the Nuclear Energy Institute Cyber Security Implementation Workshop, Mar. 25, 2024.

The Cyber Security Implementation Workshop brings together nuclear cybersecurity professionals across the U.S. industry and focuses on collaboration and information sharing to strengthen cyber defenses in the nuclear industry.

During her remarks, Belger oriented 150 nuclear power plant cybersecurity professionals to the common threat on U.S. critical infrastructures and Department of Defense space architecture.

“It is an honor to help lay the foundation for the USSF’s integration with industry private-public partners,” said Belger. “The nuclear power plant and space share many of the same challenges, and solving cyber threats includes collaboration with traditional and non-traditional U.S. organizations and companies.”

Belger educated the nuclear plant community on the U.S. Space Force mission and cyber threat landscape, relating to the audience on many of the shared technology, policy, and social barriers each industry must overcome to assure their respective operations. Belger also shared insights into her squadron’s tactics and use of intelligence to drive focused cyberspace defensive operations to assure the NSDC’s mission by identifying, preventing, denying, and eliminating threats.

“Though the Department of Homeland Security and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency interface regularly with the commercial nuclear industry,” said Belger. “It is important for DoD organizations to collaborate, learn from and mentor to industry on best practices for effective cyber defense.”

The recent release of the National Defense Industrial Strategy aligns with this push for collaboration. This first-ever strategy outlines a vision and path for the next three to five years, focusing on four key priorities: building resilient supply chains, ensuring workforce readiness, implementing flexible acquisition processes, and achieving economic deterrence.

As the U.S. enters a period of Great Power Competition with the People’s Republic of China, fostering intentional collaboration and workforce development with public-private partners are keys to successful cyber defense in the U.S. Space Force.