U.S. European Command's computer network security was greatly improved by one sailor's innovative idea.

Cmdr. Audrey G. Adams championed the use of an undocumented Windows feature to instantaneously detect insider threat security incidents on the United States European Command (USEUCOM) SIPRnet enclave.

The elegance and extremely low cost to implement and maintain her new method was especially noteworthy. Adams' solution dovetails nicely with existing functionality and purpose even while it shores up emerging deficiencies in current methodologies. For her efforts on this project, Adams was recognized for thinking "Outside the Box" as a part of the 2016 Secretary of the Navy's Innovation Award program.

"I knew I could make a big impact by making our networks more secure from the inside," said Adams, who now leads the future capabilities branch of the plans and policy directorate for the staff of the Commander, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. 10th Fleet. "What makes the solution so novel is that instead of looking for a new technology, this was built using the tools and resources we already had."

Rollout on USEUCOM's network of classified mobile devices is ongoing but, once the method is proven, it can be used across all U.S. Department of Defense information networks and other sensitive computing systems.

Adams was recognized with honorable mention for the 2016 Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV) Innovation Award in the Outside the Box category.

The SECNAV Innovation Awards recognize the top innovators within the Department of the Navy (DON). Their accomplishments are remarkable and serve as inspiration for the Navy and Marine Corps to think boldly and solve the fleet and force's most challenging problems.

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