Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) provided cybersecurity training and subject matter expertise in support of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA)’s Journey Level Leadership (JLL) Program to cultivate and inspire future Navy leaders.
As part of the program, NAVWAR hosted Marianne Paulsen, a NAVSEA human factors engineer from Naval Undersea Warfare Center Keyport, for a rotation with the NAVWAR Office of Chief Engineer Human Systems Integration (HSI) Division February-May 2019.
The JLL Program is the second phase along the NAVSEA leadership continuum, which fosters innovation and determination in aspiring naval leaders, seeking the top mid‐level performers from across NAVSEA Enterprise and providing them with opportunities to develop and strengthen their leadership skills.
Aligned with the “National Defense Strategy” and “A Design for Maintaining Maritime Superiority 2.0”, the program works to produce outstanding leaders and teams, armed with the knowledge and ability to adapt faster than our adversaries. The program's goal is to improve mission success by increasing the effectiveness of these selected professionals through a yearlong program including two one-week long leadership courses, one three-month long rotational assignment, interaction with high level NAVSEA leadership, and a final capstone project addressing a NAVSEA Enterprise level cybersecurity challenge.
JLL rotational assignments are typically internal and conducted within the NAVSEA Enterprise, but for this particular program, Paulsen chose to expand her knowledge in the area of cybersecurity and HSI, and requested to spend her three-month rotational assignment at NAVWAR with experts in the cyber domain.
“My time with NAVWAR provided me the opportunity to learn from the best minds in cyber, while immersing myself in a cyber-aware environment to greatly enhance my understanding of the current issues, challenges, tools, practices and guidance related to a robust cybersecurity posture and cyber aware HSI program,” said Paulsen.
Following her rotational assignment, Paulsen will work to complete her capstone project, which serves as a final exam, dissertation and practicum that participants must pass in order to graduate. Upon completion, she will brief the NAVSEA senior executives on issues, approach, results, and recommendations for implementation and way ahead.
“The totality of my experience at NAVWAR will contribute to the quality and scope of the recommendations that will come out of my capstone project to develop a cybersecurity maturity model for NAVSEA,” said Paulsen. “I hope to sustain the momentum of this collaborative effort between NAVSEA and NAVWAR HSI, as cyber touches all of us and it is going to take all of us working together to win this fight.”
NAVWAR hosted two other NAVSEA personnel participating in the JLL program, with another scheduled for November 2019. NAVWAR will continue to provide support and expertise to the program as needed to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of delivering cyber warfighting capability from seabed to space.
The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) changed its name to the Naval Information Warfare Systems Command (NAVWAR) June 3, 2019 to better align its name with its mission.
NAVWAR identifies, develops, delivers and sustains information warfighting capabilities and services that enable naval, joint, coalition and other national missions operating in warfighting domains from seabed to space. NAVWAR consists of more than 11,000 active duty military and civil service professionals located around the world.