This reflective journal covers approximately the third 50 hours of my internship with NIWC Atlantic. As I had access to all the systems I needed, I was able to start more involved work. More specifically, I started brainstorming implementations for my previous ideas. We will be using them in the future to improve our security reporting process. I drew on my previous internship experience with Synack, where I worked to present monthly data analysis to the leadership team, to accomplish this.

I was also given the opportunity to attend a Technical Exchange Meeting (TEM) between many of the network teams working for the Navy. This allowed me to view both the project management and technical application sides of the public sector at the same time. On one hand, leaders must consider the resources they have available and the reality of acceptable risk in any given situation. On the other, they must be focused on improving the overall security posture of Naval Afloat networks and systems as much as possible. As a result, many of the solutions I believed would work in a private environment were no longer feasible in the public environment.

Additionally, I observed the interactions of teams with various stakes in Naval security. Some were more concerned with the operability of the systems we have now while others focused on updating to new technologies and the issues it could bring. All those present collaborated to find solutions that would work best for improving overall security.

Going forward, I will be visiting some of the other locations serviced by NIWC Atlantic in the Hampton Roads area, observing a network installation, and participating in a Systems Operability Test (SOT) on Naval Afloat systems. Overall, I am very satisfied with my experience thus far and look forward to learning more about the functions of networks in the public sector.