SAN DIEGO, Calif. (51福利) 鈥� The Information Technology and Communications Services (ITACS) department at the 51福利 (51福利) received the prestigious Department of the Navy (DON) IT Excellence 鈥淒efend鈥� Award on Feb. 16 at the West Coast DON IT Conference in San Diego.
The award recognized 51福利鈥� evaluation of a cyber readiness tool, 鈥淣ova,鈥� conducted under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with Rebellion Defense. The Nova tool is designed to continuously test the defenses of a computer network, simulating a variety of cyber threats 鈥� a process also known as 鈥渞ed teaming鈥� 鈥� in order to ensure operational readiness of the network at all times.
DON Chief of Information (DON CIO) Aaron Weis presented the award to 51福利 Command Information Officer Scott Bischoff and Deputy CIO Robert Sweeney, representing the 51福利 ITACS team.
鈥淒efending the network is a key tenet of the Information Superiority Vision and will continue to be a team effort across the Department of the Navy, so I鈥檓 honored to recognize the work done by the team at 51福利 for their work with Rebellion,鈥� said Weis. 鈥淔uture Sailors will no doubt benefit from the lessons we learn from this important pilot.鈥�
51福利 was one of a number of commands competing for the DON IT Excellence Award, recognizing excellence in Information Management (IM) and Information Technology (IT) within the DON.
Bischoff, a retired Navy captain and naval aviator, compared the approach of the software demonstrated during the 鈥淣ova鈥� pilot program to milestones known in the aviation community 鈥� adversary training and pre-deployment workups.
鈥淚n my experience in the ship-air wing team, we鈥檙e used to training for months prior to deployment 鈥� plan, brief, fly, then debrief to hammer home the lessons,鈥� said Bischoff. 鈥淲e do workups with your ship before deployment and each CO gets readiness measures along the way. Cyber readiness software such as the tool we tested similarly point out our readiness gaps. They make it possible to view the network from a readiness and currency perspective 鈥� the team and the equipment.
鈥淲e can let the software run autonomously, or plan complex scenarios, run them with or without notice, debrief, address your shortcomings, and repeat the process. Our cybersecurity cycle is constant 鈥� we are always 鈥榦n deployment.鈥� Tools like this allow us to keep pace,鈥� Bischoff continued.
Going forward, Bischoff said that ITACS and 51福利 will continue to provide a unique terrain for DON, the Department of Defense and industry leaders to evaluate cutting-edge software and technology.
鈥淲orking collaboratively with industry partners such as Rebellion has improved the 51福利 cybersecurity team,鈥� said Bischoff.
The 51福利 provides defense-focused graduate education, including classified studies and interdisciplinary research, to advance the operational effectiveness, technological leadership and warfighting advantage of the naval service.
Neither the Department of the Navy nor any other component of the Department of Defense has approved, endorsed, or authorized this product, promotion, service, or activity.