Throughout the history of the world and around the globe, there are stories about individuals whom speak in tongues. Also known as glossolalia, these affected individuals produce an ecstatic oration where they claim to express the inexpressible mysteries of our time, but to many – it just sounds like a jumble of disjointed and largely unintelligible sounds. Ever wonder how a passionate, technically savvy cybersecurity professional sounds when they explain their latest accomplishment to the rest of the workforce? How many un-believers in the cyber realm do we ourselves create by our inability to interpret our mysteries into a common, accepted tongue?
Just like in the business world, the US Army has the same problem. Imagine speaking “techno-speak” to a battle-weary Infantryman. In our world, our common tongue should be our doctrine which provides a common frame of reference across the force. If the Army is going to “Win in a Complex World”, we must cure our Cyber Glossolalia. We must translate our gibberish into a more understandable tongue. This talk will share ideas on how to translate our “speaking in tongues” into mainstream language in order to create cohesion in the force.
- Establish a translation from "geek speak" to operational words
- Become more familiar with cultural challenges within organizations
- Appreciate and recognize the communication challenges between generations
About Natalie Vanatta
Natalie Vanatta is one of the first U.S. Army Cyber Officers and is currently working at the Army Cyber Institute to explore the “cyber” challenges facing the Army 5-10 years in the future. She has her PhD in mathematics from the Naval Postgraduate School and multiple M.S. degrees. She has worked from the tactical to operational levels in the communications/IT field around the world while also teaching/researching in the cybersecurity domain. She spends her time mathematically destroying encryption systems and exploring malicious behavior (both by 1s and 0s and by actors).
