Owing to the expansion of network-centric operating concepts across the Department of Defense (DOD) and the growing threat to information and cybersecurity from lone actors, groups of like-minded actors, nation-states, and malicious insiders, information assurance is an area of significant and growing importance and concern. Because of the forward positioning of both the Navy's afloat and the Marine Corps expeditionary forces, IA issues for naval forces are exacerbated, and are tightly linked to operational success. Broad-based IA success is viewed by the NRC's Committee on Information Assurance for Network-Centric Naval Forces as providing a central underpinning to the DOD's network-centric operational concept and the Department of the Navy's (DON's) FORCEnet operational vision. Accordingly, this report provides a view and analysis of information assurance in the context of naval 'mission assurance'. Table of ContentsFront MatterSummary1 Background - Naval Network-Centric Operations, InformationAssurance, and Current Cyberthreats2 The Immediate Response - Current Information Assurance andCyberdefense Initiatives3 Mission Resilience - Viewing the Threat in Operational Terms4 A Suggested Technical Response to Cyberthreats and InformationAssurance Needs5 Application of Risk Analysis as a Basis for Prioritizing Needs6 Organizational ConsiderationsAppendixesAppendix A: Acronyms and AbbreviationsAppendix B: Terms of ReferenceAppendix C: Biographies of Committee MembersAppendix D: Summary of Recent Naval Operations and Department ofDefense Reports Related to Information AssuranceAppendix E: Naval Information Assurance ArchitecturalConsiderationsAppendix F: Suggested Elements of a Naval Information AssuranceResearch and Development Program