Halfway through fall semester, the Naval Academy’s new cyber security curriculum is well underway, giving first-year midshipmen a comprehensive overview of networks, hardware and software systems, and cyber defense.
With the new curriculum, every plebe is required to take Cyber I to increase their awareness of cyber security issues. During their junior year, they will take Cyber II, which emphasizes network defense with a deeper look at technical topics. In addition, the importance of cyber security is emphasized in economics, political science and leadership classes throughout the cademy.
The goal is to ensure future military leaders possess the necessary tools to operate efficiently in a cyber environment, and the Naval Academy is the first college to require an immersive curriculum as a mandatory part of the education.
“I think it is a great course to teach the plebes,” said Ensign Justin Monroe (USNA 2010). Monroe, assigned to Navy Information Operations Command in Fort Meade, Md., serves as an assistant instructor for the course. He instructs the plebes on the basics of network design, vulnerabilities and defense.
“They ask insightful questions, something that I would have never asked when I was a plebe,” said Monroe. “When I was a plebe, I didn’t know much about cyber security until I joined the computer science major.”
Cyber I, taken in the freshman year, focuses on recognizing potential risks and threats. The course is made up of class lectures and labs during which students take apart computers to learn all the components, set up wireless networks and attempt to attack each other’s network.
“I now have a better understanding of cyber security, and I think it is very important for new military members to recognize what is going on in this environment,” said Midshipman 4th Class Stefanie Cotner.
During the course, the plebes focus on real-world scenarios, said Monroe.
“When we have a wireless network, there are risks involved with connecting it to an access point. For example, if you’re in a coffee shop on an unencrypted network, someone sitting nearby could easily intercept everything you are doing without being connected to the network or knowing anything about your machine,” he said.
For some midshipmen, this course is their first experience in studying networks of any kind. Midshipman 4th Class Gavyn Gonzales didn’t have a lot of interest in computers and didn’t know much about cyber security before taking the course, he said.
“This class has taught me how easy it is for people to attack other networks,” said Gonzales. “If you’re careless, someone else could access confidential information and take advantage of an open network.”
