Lydia Lavigne, Advanced Systems Manager, Ball Aerospace

The cyber-based threat environment poses challenges to our ability to develop methods to protect and defend our systems. Retaining cyberspace superiority by protecting information flows is important to maintaining an overall strategic advantage. The cyber domain itself is unlike any other, with a much larger potential attack surface, an operations cycle much faster than the human decision cycle, low barriers to entry for potential adversaries, and ability to rapidly change in configuration and capability.

The threat to systems as they operate in, or interface with cyberspace and the associated cyber threat is a growing concern of many people across the country. To date, the majority of effort has been on addressing the cyber threat to our critical infrastructure and information systems. Given recent exploitation events, immediate attention on the cyber threat to our space systems is of critical importance. However, the unique characteristic of the cyber threat present serious challenges in understanding and resolving their potential impacts. In space vehicles, the avionics (for example, operational software, electronic boxes, cables, comm system, etc.) are all components of a cyber-physical system (CPS).

About the speaker...
Lydia Lavigne’s broad background and experience spans across a variety of industries and projects ranging from large-scale U.S. military system development projects to intelligence analysis and space systems acquisition. Her work in project and program management, technical development and process modeling also includes training and consulting. Her work often integrates complex technical tasks involving multiple technical disciplines including product design, development, manufacturing, and technical analysis.

Lydia currently works for Ball Aerospace in its National Defense business unit as an Advanced Systems Manager, where she develops strategies for pursuing business opportunities in technologies for national defense, including space systems technologies, cyber physical systems, space protection, data analysis, and other adjacent technologies. Capture activities include analyzing customer roadmaps, trade study developments, writing white papers, proposals, and coordinating with both internal and external stakeholders.

Prior to her current role, Lydia worked in several other positions including Ball’s Systems Engineering Solutions group, where she was a program manager responsible for managing cost, schedule, and technical performance on several projects and programs. Other positions include work as a management consultant and in space systems acquisition for the US Government.

Lydia has a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan and an MBA from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. She is also a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). Lydia currently resides in Boulder, Colorado.