Fleet Cyber Command, Information WTG Synchronize Cybersecurity Inspections

U.S. Fleet Cyber Command’s Office of Compliance and Assessment (OCA) and the Information Warfare Training Group (IWTG) are working together toward ensuring Navy cyber assessments and inspections are aligned, synchronized and provide greater value to operational commanders through the Command Cyber Operational Readiness Inspections (CCORI) program.

“The Navy has a significant challenge analyzing all of the different cyber assessments and inspections done by various organizations, because there is no aligned effort," said Capt. Kristian P. Kearton, OCA director. "This leads to difficulty sharing important information, lessons learned, and effective corrective actions. Our goal, working with the IWTG and the different type and systems commands, is to ensure our assessments, standards and schedules are synchronized.”

U.S. Fleet Cyber Command’s OCA serves as the Navy’s executive agent for the Joint Force Headquarters-DoD Information Networks (JFHQ-DoDIN) Cybersecurity Inspection and Certification Program (CSICP). As the executive agent, OCA conducts Command Cyber Readiness Inspections (CCRIs) and CCORI of naval commands around the world. These inspections provide actionable recommendations for improving Navy networks and their cyber readiness.

CCRIs validate network compliance based on established Department of Defense and Department of the Navy requirements. While CCORIs assess a command’s risk to missions by evaluating vulnerabilities of information systems, networks, applications, and data and potential cyber threats to those networks.

IWTG stood-up on March 28 and focuses on advancing the fleet’s information warfare (IW) warfighting readiness through operational based training in support of afloat and ashore commands, delivering decisive advantages in the maritime domain.

“Our focus is to ensure any discrepancies found during a CCORI are addressed prior to a unit’s deployment,” said Capt. Chris Slattery, IWTG’s commanding officer. “IWTG is an integral part of every phase of the Navy’s Optimized Fleet Response Plan (OFRP) to ensure IW readiness. Mitigating cyber risk is a critical part of how we set the fleet up for success.”

OCA and IWTG are working together to conduct the CCORI process during the OFRP.  This will streamline and improve training and reduce the burden to ships, that in the past had to complete OFRP and OCA inspections separately. The new cyber warfare events conducted by IWTG will account for the different phases of a CCORI, thus aligning data, lessons learned and corrective actions that will have Navywide impact.

“Our networks are warfighting platforms designed to provide assured command and control, and exponentially increases our ability to deliver more lethality,” said Kearton. “By working together to implement CCORI, we will be ensuring our cyber capabilities are available to the warfighter on time, on target.”