U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- Cadets, industry partners and Air Force officers joined together Friday at the Academy to take part in an experimental course that seeks to tackle Air Force cyber issues.
Lt. Col. Mike Chiaramonte, course director and assistant instructor at the Academy, said the intent behind Management 495, Innovative Design, is to figure out how to explain cyber risk to units that do not have cyber backgrounds.
By using a process called design thinking, the group’s goal is to help mission elements understand how cyber issues affect specific groups. They will explore what people want, need and desire, create viable options, and then decide what is feasible.
“Design thinking is when the humanities and technologies come together to solve something,” Chiaramonte said. “The process changes the way we solve problems to come up with better answers.”
Cadets from seven different degree programs, officers and industry representatives will work together throughout the semester to share ideas and experiences that they hope will lead them to build a final design for the Air Force.
“This is a great opportunity for two sectors to work together in a much more productive environment,” said Taylor Bloch, representative for SynGlyphX , a software company in Northern Virginia. “People have attempted to address the [cyber] problem multiple times, but this is a different approach to try and tackle it.”
The course is part of a project for Cyberworx, the new cyber center at the Academy.
“CyberWorx, which is located on Academy grounds, is an Air Force-level entity focused on technological innovation through design thinking, cadet education and public-private partnerships,” said Col. Joseph “Hark” Herold, Academy industry liaison.