S2E13: Omar Marrero

In this episode of Resilient Cyber, Chris Hughes and Dr. Nikki Robinson talk with Omar Marrero, Test Deputy and Chaos Engineering Lead at Kessel Run. Omar discusses the crucial role chaos engineering plays in building resilient systems for the Department of Defense (DoD) and how breaking things intentionally can lead to stronger, more reliable capabilities. 🛠️

🔑 Key Highlights:

• What chaos engineering is and why it’s critical for complex, distributed systems

• The role of Kessel Run in modernizing the Air Force’s combat software capabilities

• How chaos engineering helps prevent outages and mission impact in DoD operations

• The origins of chaos engineering, starting with Netflix’s Chaos Monkey, and how it applies to the military sector

• How chaos engineers at Kessel Run break things on purpose to test system resilience and ensure operational success

• Collaborating with red teams to integrate security into chaos engineering

• Tips for introducing chaos engineering into risk-averse environments like the government

• The importance of building partnerships and sharing knowledge to further chaos engineering adoption

Omar also shares how Kessel Run is leading the charge in creating playbooks for chaos engineering at the DoD level and what other agencies can learn from their journey.