Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) faculty leading the university’s DOD Information Operations Center for Research announced some key changes to the center’s identity, Oct. 5, looking to better position the organization for the future and challenges ahead. 

Moving ahead, the organization will now be known as the Department of Defense Information Strategy Research Center (DoD ISRC). Director of the new center, Dr. Ryan Maness of the NPS Department of Defense Analysis, says the change aligns the center and its research to the evolving threat.

“The advent of the Internet and rise of social media in the 21st century have allowed U.S. competitors to use the power of information to sow chaos, divide populations, and steal state secrets without even leaving their sovereign territory or firing a shot. Disinformation rules on the Internet, and as technology rapidly evolves, this threat from the cognitive realm will only continue to proliferate,” explained Maness.

According to DoD ISRC officials, the center’s mission is to facilitate research and exploration of cyber and information strategies and concepts, conduct field experimentation and analysis, and supports graduate-level education on information strategy and political warfare. 

The DoD ISRC works to support information operations force development by working directly with graduate students on their cyber and operations in the information environment, or OIE, focused theses as well as collaborating with our DoD partners, industry representatives, and academic institutions. 

“The DoD ISRC will continue to support research on cyber and information strategy and policy of U.S. adversarial nations, Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, as well as various non-state groups to better understand their thinking, motives, and impact on target audiences,” added Maness.

The center launched an all new website today, as well as a brand-new Linked In page, designed to better connect and engage with the professional cyber and information strategist communities.