On May 13th, 2022, Governor Larry Hogan signed over 100 new bills into order, the majority focusing on bolstering defenses against cybersecurity attacks that have been occurring in greater and grander succession. In 2019, hackers corrupted the software used by the local Baltimore government for two weeks, demanding a ransom pay of $100,000. In 2020, there was an attack on Baltimore public schools systems software, shutting down schools temporarily because the school was so dependent on technology. This December, amidst the pandemic, there was an attack on the Maryland Department of Health. These are just a few examples of the constant barrage of cyber threats that attack the U.S in cyberspace, and these dire situations are ones that occurred within Maryland alone.
These examples show that modes of modern warfare have deviated from the traditional face-to-face combat approach to a more unseen, technological one. As more confidential data is archived online, the protection and security of that data becomes more significant to national security, so much so that the military is developing programs to fight international breaches, hackers, and malware. This ideology is supported by the newest installation since 1975 to the United States Naval Academy campus, Hopper Hall, focused specifically on cyber security studies. It is also the first building at any of the three branches (USNA, USAFA, and USMA) named after a woman (Kennedy, 2020). It definitely stands out from its historical copper roofed predecessors, its eye-catching large windows overlooking the scenic Severn River. But its designers also considered the past, incorporating Cold War-esque concrete walls and its blockish silhouette.
The building is named for Rear Admiral Grace Brewster Murray Hopper, an integral part of the foundation of computer science as we know it today. She is responsible for the invention of “linkers”, the theory of machine-independent computer programs, and the high-level programming languages COBOL and FLOW-MATIC. In addition to Hopper Hall, Admiral Hopper’s title also adorns the side of a Navy guided missile destroyer, the 4th private submarine communications cable linking the United States to Europe, a supercomputer at The National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC), and a college at Yale University. Posthumously, President Obama awarded her the Medal of Freedom to go along with her other 40 honorary degrees and 9 additional medals.
But perhaps her most famous accomplishment is one that occurred completely by accident. In 1947, while working on a Mark II computer at Harvard University, she and her colleagues discovered a moth lodged in a relay, which was preventing the computer from operating. The insect was attached to a record sheet on that day with the note “First real case of a bug being found” after it was extracted. Despite the fact that neither she nor her crew members used the word “debugging” in their log entries, the case is remembered as a historical example of “debugging” a computer, and Hopper is credited with popularizing the term. Before being used in computers, the term “bug” was used to describe a problem in a variety of industries for decades. You can see the actual moth and the team’s log book today in the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C..
The state of the art Hopper Hall on the Naval Academy campus includes “a power studio lab, a green energy lab, an optics lab, an anechoic chamber, and two aquatic testing facilities complete with sand filtration, sanitizing systems, video-capturing equipment, a three-dimensional motion-tracking system, and a monorail capable of lifting submersible vehicles weighing up to two tons” (SOM, 2021).
It is equipped with a thorough and detailed curriculum, faculty, and various departments specializing in all different areas of cybersecurity and computer science. According to the USNA, the courses cover a wide range of topics relating to technical and non-technical subjects such as “computer architecture, programming, data structures, networks, internet, database systems, information assurance, cryptography, forensics, policy, law, ethics, and social engineering” (USNA, 2022). It is the home base for midshipmen pursuing studies in Cyber Operations; Computer Engineering; Computer Science; Electrical Engineering; Information Technology; Robotics and Control Engineering, Naval Architecture, Ocean Engineering, and Physics.
The recent military interest in cyber science and security is not only the result of increasing cyber attacks on the U.S. systems, but also due to the observation of major holes and lacking defenses in our own cyberspace. By giving midshipmen both cyber and naval knowledge, the traditions of the past meet the present. These midshipmen will be able to smoothly operate the newest cyber baseline systems aboard vessels once deployed.
Comparatively, the USAFA does not have a cybersecurity studies field, but rather a more general cyber science degree, that “focuses on computer programming, embedded systems, networks, telecommunications, computer systems, computer investigations and cyber operations” (USAFA, 2022). In the Air Force, cyber science majors who go on to become pilots have a better understanding of their aircraft and weapons systems, which rely heavily on software. Throughout the course of the major, they will develop a thorough understanding of how cyberspace hazards affect mission capability and success. The USMA also has a cyber science program of its own with a wide variety of different concentrations, varying from machine learning to network services to cyber operations. In totality, the Naval Academy’s cyber science and cybersecurity program is the most detailed and most relevant in modern day cyber warfare and operations.
The Naval Academy is open for the public to explore from 10 am to 3 pm EST (excluding certain days and events) and there are also guided historical walking tours where you can walk along the scenic Severn River, wander through the Naval Academy museum and national cemetery, and even see Hopper Hall for yourself. There are also admission tours for those who are interested in pursuing a career in cyber security at the Naval Academy and would like to get involved.
Sources
Gaskins, Nikki. Gov. Hogan Signs Bills To Strengthen Maryland’s Cybersecurity. Patch, 13 May 2022. https://patch.com/maryland/annapolis/gov-hogan-signs-bills-strengthen-marylands-cybersecurity. Accessed May 13, 2022.
Kennedy, Mike. American School & University. Endeavor Business Media, 5 Nov., 2022. https://www.asumag.com/planning-design/new-construction/article/21148795/naval-academy-opens-facility-focused-on-cybersecurity. Accessed May 13, 2022.
SOM. United States Naval Academy Cyber Studies Building – Hopper Hall. , 2021. https://www.som.com/projects/u-s-naval-academy-grace-hopper-center-for-cyber-security-studies. Accessed May 13, 2022.
USNA. CENTER FOR CYBER SECURITY STUDIES – Cyber Operations Major, USNA, 2022. https://www.usna.edu/CyberCenter/Academics/index.php. Accessed May 13, 2022.
