How Do You Rebuild Systems That Can’t Go Offline?

McCrary Institute

Aug 17, 2026
Modernizing the systems Americans depend on is not simply a technology challenge. For mission-critical organizations, even a security upgrade can create unacceptable risk if it interrupts essential operations.

Tom Afferton, president of Peraton’s Cyber and Intelligence Sector, joins Frank Cilluffo on the latest Cyber Focus to discuss modernizing critical systems, applying AI to cyber operations and preserving human judgment as automation expands. They also examine why resilience requires more than stopping attacks. Organizations must be able to operate through compromise and maintain public trust during disruption.

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Peraton is a next-generation national security company that drives missions of consequence spanning the globe and extending to the farthest reaches of the galaxy. As one of the world’s leading mission capability integrators and transformative enterprise IT providers, we deliver trusted, highly differentiated solutions and technologies to protect our nation and allies from threats across the digital and physical domains. Peraton supports every branch of the U.S. Armed Forces, and we serve as a valued partner to essential government agencies that sustain our way of life.

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