Christopher Cleary Highlights Data Challenges Faced by US Navy

Christopher Cleary, the Department of the Navy’s principal cyber adviser, said the service is struggling with operationalizing its data.

Cleary, a past Potomac Officers Club event speaker, explained that a key part of the issue is data transport. He noted during a Billington Cybersecurity Summit panel on Thursday that the Navy is starting to use satellite communications solutions such as Starlink to improve information availability.

According to Cleary, the service is transforming into a more dispersed and autonomous force, requiring it to change its communication, information collection and distribution practices, Defense One reported Friday.

Cleary added that the service is also working on ensuring the trustworthiness and security of its data. Earlier, the Navy released a cyber readiness strategy to implement zero trust and prepare data for analytics.

The service’s data security approach mirrors that of the Department of Defense, which aims to facilitate data sharing and protect information systems by instituting zero trust.