MAY 28, 2025 – Navy Cyber Defense Operations Command (NCDOC) held a ribbon cutting ceremony on May 9, supported by Naval Information Forces (NAVIFOR) and Naval Network Warfare Command (NNWC) leaders to officially open TRIDENT – Technical Readiness in Defensive Cyber Operations {DCO} Education and Network Training – Center for NCDOC and NNWC personnel.
Vice Adm. Mike Vernazza, commander, NAVIFOR and the Navy’s IBoss for Information Warfare, served as guest speaker.
“This facility, in collaboration with our partners, provides hands on experience and training, real time sets and reps, and advanced mentorship from exceptional industry partners utilizing persistent access to lab and exercise environments with scenarios based on real world threats,” said Vernazza. “As the Navy’s operational command for Defensive Cyberspace Operation, NCDOC’s mission is clear – to defend Navy networks and ensure warfighter readiness in cyberspace. This new training space directly aligns with that mission by enabling more dynamic, realistic, and collaborative cyber training, giving our teams the skills and agility that they will need to meet emerging threats.”
The ribbon cutting ceremony is in honor of TRIDENT achieving a significant milestone, the successful execution of a remote Cyber Protection Team (CPT) mission and an operational recertification event.
The 14,420 square foot center is specifically designed to support a wide range of activities, including individual and team-based scenarios, technical labs, demonstrations, mission rehearsals, cyber training, conferences, and professional development courses. TRIDENT has actively supported the Cyber Competition Team, CPTs and Navy Red Team (NRT) through four Capture the Flag (CTF) events.
These events allow the Sailors to practice and develop their skills in friendly competition against other teams across the DoD, U.S. Government, and the private sector. The TRIDENT facility is also a space for Sailors, officers, and civilians to complete advanced cyber training ranging from vendor provided courses to internally developed training in support of NCDOC’s unique mission as DCO Task Force, sole Cyber Security Service Provider (CSSP) in the Navy, the Navy Cyber Defense Teams deployed afloat, and the Navy Hunt Team across enterprise networks.
Additionally, NCDOC NRT, one of only 13 certified DoD Red Teams, can safely research, develop, and test various tools, exploits, and malware at TRIDENT, better preparing them to harden DoD Information Networks – Navy.
TRIDENT has also been used to strengthen partnerships amongst the other stakeholders working to secure, operate, and defend Navy networks. A Cyber Network Defense 5.2 training program between NCDOC and Naval Information Warfare Center Atlantic was hosted at the facility in April 2025.
“NNWC Blue Team has also taken advantage of the facility to conduct enhanced capability establishing it as the nexus of training excellence for the Navy’s Secure, Operate, and Defend workforce. The team received training from the National Security Agency representatives on their DarkEther network device data collection tool,” said Capt. Sharon Pinder, commanding officer, NCDOC.
The TRIDENT ribbon cutting showcased a large orange ribbon, aligning the significance of the color orange in cybersecurity to the importance of the TRIDENT facility. In industry, orange in cybersecurity represents teams who train and educate the frontline defenders against cyber threats. Cutting the orange ribbon represents TRIDENT’s role in fostering a culture of excellence in cybersecurity for the Navy and a conscious effort to provide ready, relevant learning to the warfighters charged with defending the networks to enable Assured Command and Control, Battlespace Awareness, Integrated Fires.
NCDOC’s mission is to plan, coordinate, and conduct global DCO for the Navy’s largest warfighting ecosystem, the layered and interconnected networks and weapons systems linked across all warfighting domains through DoDIN-N. Perform as Navy’s Cyber Security Service Provider (CSSP) in order to generate cyber intelligence, conduct proactive DCO on DoDIN-N to assure command and control, expand battlespace awareness, and facilitate integrated fires to win decisively in war.
For more information on NCDOC, visit the command Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/NavyCyberWarriors or the public web page at https://www.navifor.usff.navy.mil/ncdoc/.
From NCDOC PAO Alexis Smith