Cyber Operator Competencies: The Role of Cognitive Competencies in Cyber Operator Practice and Education

PhD Dissertations in Child and Youth Participation and Competence Development (BUK): 17. Articles 2, 3 and 4 have been removed from the digital thesis due to lack of permission from the publishers. These can be viewed in the relevant journals/books, and in the printed thesis.The theme of this thesis is the role of cognitive competencies in cyber operator practice and education. Cyber operator practice is a new field of research where the importance and attention is growing rapidly. Research has accumulated a solid amount of knowledge about the technical skills required by a cyber operator. However, less is known about the cognitive competencies that support cyber operator proficiency. In order to gain insight into the cognitive demands of cyber operators, the cognitions of young cyber officers(1) attending the Norwegian Defence Cyber Academy have been studied. Findings contributes to the development of theory and evidence-based knowledge needed to develop educational guidelines for the cyber operator workforce. This dissertation proposes and take steps towards validation of a conceptual framework, The Hybrid Space, that describes the cognitive work environment of military cyber operators. The Hybrid Space conceptual framework is introduced in the first article of this thesis and is used in all parts of the study. Methodological contributions include a method and a software to collect quantitative data on cyber operators’ cognitive focus and assess cognitive agility. Cognitive agility is proposed as a competence and a measure of cyber operator performance. Empirical data collected during a cyber defence exercise support our theoretical assumption and helps to further develop The Hybrid Space conceptual framework. Findings indicate that knowledge and understanding of cyberspace as a domain of operations and the cognitive competencies supporting cyber operator proficiency are limited. Cognitive agility is proposed as a cognitive competency and is associated with higher levels of selfregulation. These findings suggest that cognitive competencies can indeed support cyber operator performance. This thesis therefore contributes to cyber operator practice and education by suggesting that education and training would benefit from including the development of cognitive competencies alongside the technical education and training needed to become a cyber operator. In this way, this thesis adds new insight and perspective into the novel area of cyber operator practice. The results provide the first indications that cyber operator performance can be supported by the development of cognitive competencies during education. 1 Cyber officer and cyber operator are used interchangeably throughout the articles and this extended abstract. The reason is that the students undergo the same education, but the position they later get determine their career path and the accompanying title. The use of the terms is maturing in both military and civilian sectors. As of now neither finite guidelines nor agreed upon norms exist that guide the use of the titlesSammendrag Temaet for denne doktoravhandlingen er rollen til kognitive kompetanser i cyber operator praksis og utdanning. Cyber operator praksis er et nytt forskningsfelt som har fatt stor oppmerksomhet de siste arene. Forskning pa omradet har produsert kunnskap om hvilke tekniske kunnskaper og ferdigheter en cyber operator ma ha. Mindre kunnskap finnes om de kognitive kompetansene som en cyber operator trenger for a kunne utove sin praksis effektivt. For a fa bedre innsikt i de kognitive kravene som cyber operatorer stilles ovenfor har jeg studert unge cyber offiserer under utdanning pa Forsvarets Ingeniorhogskole (2) (FIH). Denne avhandlingen bidrar med kunnskap og empirisk grunnlag for a utvikle forskningsbasert utdanning for fremtidens cyber operatorer. Avhandlingen fremholder og starter validering et konseptuelt rammeverk, The Hybrid Space, som beskriver de kognitive kravene militare cyber operatorer ma forholde seg til i utovelsen av sitt virke. Rammeverket blir introdusert i forste artikkel av denne avhandlingen og blir brukt som konseptuelt fundament i resten av avhandlingen. Avhandlingen fremlegger ogsa en metode og et dataverktoy som kan brukes til a samle inn kvantitative data om cyber operatorers kognitive fokus. Dette dataverktoyet kan ogsa benyttes til a undersoke hvordan cyber operatorer utviser kognitiv fleksibilitet over tid nar de gjennomforer en cyber operasjon. Kognitiv fleksibilitet foreslas som et prestasjonsmal for cyber operatorer. Empiriske data innhentet under en cyberforsvars ovelse bekrefter vare teoretiske hypoteser og bidrar til videre utvikling av det konseptuelle rammeverket. Hovedfunnene indikerer at kunnskap om og forstaelse for cyberspace som operasjonsdomene og rollen til kognitive kompetanser i cyber operatorens utforelse av cyber operasjoner er begrenset. Denne avhandlingen argumenter for at evne til fleksibel kognitiv manover i operasjonsmiljoet, definert som ‘cognitive agility’, er en viktig kognitiv kompetanse for cyber operatorer som kan predikeres ved a undersoke evne til selvregulering. Disse funnene indikerer at kognitive kompetanser kan bidra til a understotte cyber operatorers prestasjon. Avhandlingen bidrar til cyber operator praksis og utdanning ved a vise til at utvikling av cyber operator kompetanse bor inkludere utvikling av kognitive kompetanser i tillegg til utvikling av tekniske kunnskaper og ferdigheter. Med disse funnene bidrar denne avhandlingen bidrar til ny innsikt og perspektiv pa cyber operator praksis og utdanning. 2 Forsvarets Ingeniørhøgskole (FIH) endret i 2018 navn til Cyberingeniørskolen (CIS) og ble samtidig underlagt Forsvarets Høgskole (FHS)

Education for Cognitive Agility: Improved Understanding and Governance of Cyberpower

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An Analysis of Multi-domain Command and Control and the Development of Software Solutions through DevOps Toolsets and Practices

Multi-Domain Command and Control (MDC2) is the exercise of command and control over forces in multiple operational domains (namely air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace) in order to produce synergistic effects in the battlespace, and enhancing this capability has become a major focus area for the United States Air Force (USAF). In order to meet demands for MDC2 software, solutions need to be acquired and/or developed in a timely manner, information technology infrastructure needs to be adaptable to new software requirements, and user feedback needs to drive iterative updates to fielded software. In commercial organizations, agile software development methodologies and concepts such as DevOps have been implemented to meet these demands. However, the USAF has been slow to adopt modern agile software development concepts such as DevOps in favor of traditional software development lifecycles and large contracts that can go nearly a decade without any value being released to the users. This work explores MDC2 software use cases and aims to show that MDC2 software can be successfully developed using modern agile software development practices in a timely manner

A cyber-security framework for development, defense and innovation at NATO

The article is of strategic nature. It projects the importance of cyber-security as policy, while reflecting the need for enhancing constantly NATO’s (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) cyber-dimensional strategy, management, and operations. There is a policy need for constant innovation and entrepreneurship in security, one that reflects also NATO’s practical needs; its security resilience and business continuity. At a time of strategic challenges and policy recommendations, the production of this article is timely. It examines NATOs Heads of States and Governments decision of the Brussels Summit meeting on Cyber Security that was held in July 2018. The article proposes a framework of strategic re-alignment, with a stronger eye toward practical innovation and entrepreneurship; practicality in operational management, while enhancing political cooperation and tactical/strategic preparation for field operations. The aim, design, and setting of this article explicitly and methodologically evaluates NATO’s security and cyber-security options to come for the near future. The article integrates and proposes a new design for a new format of collective defense. The article considers cyber-defense as key tool for current and future operational and network centric operations. The article enables us to comprehend better the Alliance’ global and regional needs the framework of current and future defense, requesting at the same time for a holistic approach to innovation and entrepreneurship, while new geostrategic and geo-economic challenges emerge

Old Keys May Not Open New Doors: The Necessity of Agility in Cybersecurity Policymaking

The volatile and dynamic nature of cyberspace has raised concerns over security and organisations are trying to make policies to protect their digital assets. However, policymaking in this field is still using traditional methods, which are slow and incompatible with the pace of change in the environment. Thus, it is vital to increase the speed of policy development in an agile and flexible manner. The question is, what does agility mean here and why is it important for organisations? To answer these questions, this study uses a systematic literature review approach and investigates 42 selected papers. By analysing the selected papers, a definition of cybersecurity policymaking agility is provided, and its importance in combating new cyberthreats is discussed. Building on and extending the organisational agility, policymaking and cybersecurity management research streams, the findings of this study propose new research opportunities for future studies

Socio-technical communication: The Hybrid Space and the OLB-Model for science-based cyber education

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Gamification as a neuroergonomic approach to improving interpersonal situational awareness in cyber defense

In cyber threat situations, the establishment of a shared situational awareness as a basis for cyber defense decision-making results from adequate communication of a Recognized Cyber Picture (RCP). RCPs consist of actively selected information and have the goal of accurately presenting the severity and potential consequences of the situation. RCPs must be communicated between individuals, but also between organizations, and often from technical to non-/less technical personnel. The communication of RCPs is subject to many challenges that may affect the transfer of critical information between individuals. There are currently no common best practices for training communication for shared situational awareness among cyber defense personnel. The Orient, Locate, Bridge (OLB) model is a pedagogic tool to improve communication between individuals during a cyber threat situation. According to the model, an individual must apply meta-cognitive awareness (O), perspective taking (L), and communication skills (B) to successfully communicate the RCP. Gamification (applying game elements to non-game contexts) has shown promise as an approach to learning. We propose a novel OLB-based Gamification design to improve dyadic communication for shared situational awareness among (technical and non-technical) individuals during a cyber threat situation. The design includes the Gamification elements of narrative, scoring, feedback, and judgment of self. The proposed concept contributes to the educational development of cyber operators from both military and civilian organizations responsible for defending and securing digital infrastructure. This is achieved by combining the elements of a novel communication model with Gamification in a context in urgent need for educational input.publishedVersio

Breaking the Mold: Consolidated Report on the Workshop

https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/btm/1000/thumbnail.jp