Y-12 Blog
With technology essential to our daily lives, cybersecurity education is increasingly growing
From cracking textbooks open to cracking codes, cybersecurity is entering the halls of secondary education in East Tennessee. In expanding cybersecurity knowledge beyond the sites, CNS Chief Information Security Officer Paul Beckman virtually met with 25 students from Bearden High School’s Cybersecurity 1 class, led by Timothy Cathcart, Ph.D., to present his professional insight in the digital world.
With more than 20 years in the industry, Beckman shared his background, life lessons, and experience with the class. Beginning his civil service career with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in 2005, Beckman joined CNS in March and emphasized the gravity of ensuring cybersecurity for the CNS mission and the importance of cybersecurity in industries nationwide.
“What was traditionally considered just internet security has now become everything security,” Beckman said. “Whether it’s our phones, refrigerators, or vehicles, everything is becoming a computer, which increases our exposure to cyber risk; thus, the need to implement effective cybersecurity protections is no longer reserved to just our desktops.”
Beckman shared how his background and degree in psychology have translated to the cybersecurity industry - especially when it comes to assessing risk probability.
“Whether we realize it or not, it’s in our nature as human beings to continuously assess risk hundreds of times a day, and often times we get it wrong due to shortcuts our brains take called heuristics,” Beckman said. “From a psychology standpoint for example, we typically assess risks as being lower when they are within our direct control. These are the everyday risks like driving a car. Conversely, we tend to assess risks as being higher for things that we feel are out of our control, such as flying or riding as a passenger in a car. With cyber risks, we have to be cognizant of these inaccurate shortcuts our brains take and ensure we accurately and objectively assess the risks posed against our assets,” he said.
Meanwhile, as we continue to exponentially evolve in the digital era, Beckman recognized what it means for future growth and challenges in the cyber industry. In reference to Moore’s Law, which suggests that the speed and capability of our computers will double every two years with decreased costs, underscores the growing threat and signifies the importance of having cybersecurity professionals and skills to serve the demand.
“There is still by far a negative unemployment ratio in the cybersecurity industry. There are more cybersecurity jobs out there than there are people to fill them,” Beckman said.
Setting the stage to meet that need, Cathcart’s students are learning the basic concepts of cybersecurity with an emphasis on integration, application, practices, devices, and ethics. In addition to concepts, students are able to demonstrate how to implement cybersecurity features within a networking system and how to protect network information.
To those potential future minds of the cybersecurity industry, Beckman noted the importance of being fluent in cyber and overall information technology principles. However, when asked what he looks for in a future cyber professional or candidate, it’s having a learning mindset that thinks of ways to find solutions.
“We have the responsibility to encourage and inspire our youth to pursue the industry and become the next generation of information security professionals,” Beckman said. “No two days are the same in cybersecurity, and our adversaries are always adapting their tactics to our defenses, requiring that we have the strongest and brightest workforce to help defend against those adversaries.”
Beckman’s time with the Bearden students is just one example of how CNS is working to connect with young people who could eventually be part of the workforce. “The ability to make an impact and support the development of future professionals by pairing our experts with opportunities to share their knowledge is critical to our education community,” said CNS Education Outreach Specialist Kristin Waldschlager.
Executive director of Compassion Counseling Lakshmie Napagoda interacts with a client.
In days when we could all use a little compassion, Compassion Counseling in Maryville has been working diligently to help those with mental illness break the cycles of abuse and incarceration and retain employment.
With closures, quarantines, and economic uncertainty, the COVID-19 pandemic has made most of us feel a little frayed around the edges. For individuals with mental illness, that level of stress can easily reach the breaking point.
According to Lakshmie Napagoda, RGS, LCSW, executive director of Compassion Counseling, many families are caught in a vicious cycle of abuse, incarceration, and unemployment. She said, “Those who are able to find employment after incarceration often work in stressful settings. As a result, life stressors continue to add up.”
Grant vital during shutdown
Compassion Counseling received a grant from Consolidated Nuclear Security’s Community Investment Fund to provide clinical and educational services to those stuck in the cycle of abuse and incarceration. Unfortunately, those plans had to be modified because of the pandemic.
“Having the grant was especially helpful during the pandemic when our fundraising options were limited,” noted Napagoda. The challenge became delivering the counseling from a distance.
The program switched to telehealth, which was not without problems. Many of the Blount and Sevier County clients were not keen on the virtual sessions, and confidentiality concerns and slow internet speeds further exacerbated the problem.
Delivering counseling post-shutdown
Compassion Counseling’s program is driven by referrals from various sources, including the Blount Justice Center and the Blount County Probation Office. “As soon as the shutdown lifted, we received multiple calls from people arrested for domestic assault and those needing stress and anger management classes” said Napagoda.
With the influx of referrals, they still had to work with the social distancing restrictions, and their space wasn’t large enough. Fortunately, they were able to use a larger space in the building where they are located. By providing two sessions, they were able to accommodate 25 clients. Through the Community Investment Fund grant, they have been able to counsel 53 clients through group therapy and anger management sessions.
From resentment to acceptance
Court-ordered therapy often comes with resistance. According to Napagoda, acknowledging that resistance is the first step. The goal is for them to acknowledge that they played a role in their situation, realize that they need to make better choices, and hopefully develop some resilience to break the cycle.
“Anger seems give some people a sense of power,” noted Napagoda. “We try to explore causes of that anger to help people develop new behaviors.”
It’s hard work - for the therapists and the clients - but there are rewards. Suicidal clients finding a silver lining, a client finding a job after being fired for accosting a customer, and another developing an emotional connection that he’d never had before are just some of the examples of the real differences counseling can make on lives. Those are the outcomes in which Compassion Counseling is investing.
Visit Compassion Counseling’s website for more information about their services.
Demolition of Building 9720 22 at Y 12
More than ever before, the landscape of Pantex and Y-12 is changing. In FY 2020 alone, 46 infrastructure projects were completed, and an impressive 21 facilities (11 at Pantex and 10 at Y-12) were demolished.
Diane McDaniel, senior director for Excess Facilities Disposition, has challenged the disposition team with a stretch goal to achieve 100 total demolitions within the years of FY 2015 and FY 2021.
“The disposition team is made up of approximately 50 individual contributors representing all organizations at Y-12 and Pantex. These team members, along with an outstanding subcontractor community and the NNSA Production Office, are the key to the program’s success. Because of their dedication and focus, the CNS disposition program is held up as the example for the other NNSA sites across the country,” McDaniel said.
CNS teams worked diligently to meet their FY 2020 goals during the COVID-019 mission critical operations so that they would be ready to hit the ground running to accomplish as much as possible within the safety envelope when they returned to the site.
“We have never attempted, much less achieved, that many dispositions and square footage of almost 30,000 square feet this year at Pantex,” said Pantex Excess Facility Disposition Program Manager Jennifer Simms. “We continue to achieve more facilities and square feet every single year. We are really ramping up and changing the landscape of the site one demo at a time.”
“Demolitions are important to reduce the site footprint and eliminate facilities that present significant hazards. We have to remove the old to make way for new mission essential facilities,” said Y-12 Excess Facility Disposition Program Manager Kevin Bradford.
“Because we are reducing the footprint with demos, it gives us the opportunity to work with NNSA to obtain the funding needed for new facilities,” said Laura Fox, Pantex Projects Management. “These new facilities will provide greatly improved working conditions for our personnel, as well as provide greater reliability of facility systems.”
Planning for demolition starts no less than two years before the building is actually torn down. Many times, characterization of hazards within and around the facility, location and condition of utilities, and other factors must be known ahead of even starting the drawings that must be produced and provided to contractors for bid.
“Taking down old facilities is always challenging,” Fox said. “Many times, the drawings from when these facilities were constructed are either not available or are unreliable.”
She said it is truly a team effort between organizations including Projects, Procurement, Engineering, Construction Management, and the contractor who work hand in hand to overcome issues and get these buildings down.
New behind the scenes challenges for FY 2021 demolitions are already being reviewed for another 21 planned demolitions next year and more than 25 in FY 2023.
Heroes don’t always wear capes (but they do wear face coverings). These three Y-12ers jumped into action to help a Kentucky man suffering from dementia. (from left: Chris Griffis, Mark Butcher, and Jack Bolinger)
Most Y-12 employees try to be helpful. Last month, three Y-12ers proved that statement when they were in the right place at the right time.
Chris Griffis, Jack Bolinger, and Mark Butcher were driving near the Horizon Center on Highway 58/95 when they spotted someone in the road.
“He looked to be in distress, and we stopped to see if he needed help,” Griffis said.
The three got out of the car and asked the man if he needed assistance. The man was confused, couldn’t answer any questions, and had a wound on his head.
Bolinger said, “The more we talked to him, the more it was apparent that, at the least, he had a concussion. He couldn’t tell us who he was, where he was headed, or where he came from. He thought he was in Kentucky. He was barely making coherent sentences.”
Bolinger called 911, and the three stayed with the man until the paramedics arrived.
“Everyone is always in a hurry, and I get that, but take time to figure out someone’s situation,” Butcher said. “You should always look to lend a helping hand, especially when you can improve or help someone else’s situation.”
The paramedics took him to the hospital for evaluation. Later that day, Bolinger received a call from one of the paramedics that the man was suffering with dementia and had been missing from Kentucky.
Griffis said, “Sometimes the world we live in seems quite dark; however, there are many more good people in the world than people who would wish to do you harm. You absolutely need to be aware of your surroundings for the safety of you and your loved ones. Conversely, there are people everywhere who could use some assistance in one form or another. You never know how much a seemingly small gesture can mean to someone who needs it.”
“Something that is often missing from people’s actions are doing them from a service perspective, where nothing is in it for them,” Bolinger said. “If you see a need, take action! Never underestimate the impact you can have in someone’s life by a seemingly insignificant action.”
These good guys advise to look for places where you can help. Griffis said, “It’s vital in our country right now to help those who truly need it.”
It pays to be alert, and when you see something — even someone in distress — say something. Thanks to these three Y-12ers, the missing Kentuckian was soon home.
When it’s time to perform factory acceptance testing on a critical technology during a pandemic, what do you do? Since the product still must be delivered, you adapt by monitoring the work remotely.
Pre-pandemic, CNS and NPO staff would have sent several people on multiple trips to observe electrorefining testing. This time, because of COVID restrictions on the number of people allowed in the shop, the project team could only send two representatives.
With limited access and high stakes - electrorefining is key for uranium processing - the project team had to figure out how more of them could view the testing. By purchasing some iPads and communicating via WebEx, the team remaining in Oak Ridge could effectively monitor the testing and communicate with the team members at the vendor’s site. Project manager Steve Cruz said, “We had a learning curve with WebEx, but it was manageable.”
From a conference room in Jack Case Center, the NNSA customer and Production team members were able to monitor the testing that was being conducted across the country in one of Merrick’s facilities. In fact, some team members were able to view the testing from their computers on site or while teleworking.
Cruz thinks viewing factory acceptance testing remotely may be advisable even when travel isn’t restricted. “With remote viewing, staff who only need to see a small portion of the testing can do so without the expense of travel,” he said. The remote viewing also allows parties who are interested to witness the testing, too, which may be helpful to train staff to observe such tests in the future.
Remote testing may have been born of necessity, but the benefits, including reduced travel costs and ease of staff participation, may remain when we reach the “new normal.” Watch this short video (closed captioned version) for more information.
Project manager Steve Cruz participates in factory acceptance testing for electrorefining remotely.