The Department of the Navy's Information Management/Information Technology (IM/IT) Workforce Management team works across the Navy-Marine Corps, Department of Defense (DoD), and federal government in developing policies, guidance, tools, and human capital strategies to shape the DON IM/IT workforce of the future. Over the last year this team has been working to address the task of how to ensure that the DON has a qualified Information Assurance (IA) workforce.
The IA workforce is key to assuring we have adequate security measures to protect and defend our information and information systems. With the increasing threat evidenced by the hundreds of daily attempts to breach our computer networks, equipping an IA workforce that is educated and trained to meet these challenges is an imperative. Throughout government, efforts are underway to address this requirement. President Bush directed the development of a National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace to help reduce our nation's vulnerability to attacks against our critical infrastructures or the physical assets that support them. The National Strategy includes a priority for strengthening awareness, training and education in this area.
DoD Directive 8570.1, "Information Assurance Training, Certification, and Workforce Management" levies new requirements for IA training, certification and management. To respond to this and other policy, I have chartered the DON Information Assurance Workforce Working Group (IA WWG). The group will provide DON-wide collaboration to identify and improve Enterprise policy, processes and tools that will transform the Department's future IA workforce. The DON Deputy CIOs for the Navy and Marine Corps are supporting this important initiative by offering their senior IA professionals to co-chair the IA WWG. Ramona Waters, Naval Network Warfare Command (NETWARCOM) Computer Network Defense and Navy Designated Approval Authority (DAA), and Ray Letteer, Marine Corps C4I Information Assurance and DAA, are the Navy and Marine Corps IA WWG leads. In their kick-off meeting I was most impressed by the innovative ideas and commitment evident in the entire team to apply best practices and put into place benchmarks that others will strive to achieve.
This is a challenging effort that moves us from a decentralized approach to an Enterprise perspective of how we train and manage our IA workforce. Some of the major IA WWG initiatives include:
• Improving how we deliver IA orientation and refresher awareness training
• Identifying standardized IA qualifications, training and certifications
• Developing procedures to identify and manage IA positions with trained and certified personnel
This transformational effort will sustain the objective of our DON IM/IT Strategic Plan to shape the IM/IT workforce of the future. The IA WWG – consisting of IA professionals from across the Department – will develop the recommendations to ensure we have a highly skilled IA workforce, prepared to meet the challenges of our future. I welcome IA professionals to participate in this important working group and encourage you to contact our IM/IT Workforce Management lead, Ms. Sandy Smith through the DON CIO Web site at http://www.doncio.navy.mil/.