Newport News Shipbuilding is recognizing National Insider Threat Awareness Month in September. This year’s theme is “Protecting Our Potential.”

The Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) defines “potential” as future work and the safety of the sailors who board ships. If blueprints, construction schedules or system weaknesses leak to foreign competitors or adversaries, NNS loses its competitive edge, jobs are put at risk and the ships we build become vulnerable.

Every shipbuilder has a role to play in preventing information leaks by following the tips below.

1. Watch what you share, especially on social media.

• • The Risk: Taking a quick photo at work or talking about a specific machinery installation delay in a public forum might seem harmless. However, adversaries scrape social media to piece together a ship’s schedule, design flaws and operational readiness.
  • The Action: Keep shipyard topics at work. Never take photos on NNS property, and do not post details about ship locations, technical challenges or delivery schedules online.

2. Lock down your access and your tech.

• • The Risk: Sharing a badge to let a co-worker piggyback, leaving a government computer terminal unlocked or using unapproved personal USB drives on the shipyard network creates instant vulnerabilities.
  • The Action: Never bypass security for convenience. Secure your workstation every time you step away, never share your login credentials or security badges and report any lost or compromised access cards immediately.

3. Speak up if something looks wrong.

• • The Risk: Insider threats aren’t just fictional spies – they are often stressed, disgruntled or compromised co-workers. Ignoring someone bypassing safety protocols, trying to access a space they don’t belong in or aggressively asking for information outside their job scope puts everyone at risk.
  • The Action: Report anomalies, not just certainties. If you notice unusual behavior – like a co-worker downloading mass data they don’t need or trying to enter a restricted compartment without authorization – report it quietly to your supervisor or the security team.

All shipbuilders must be engaged and ready to convert their security awareness into action. If you see something, say something by calling the Security Command Center (SCC) at 757-380-2222 for emergencies or the non-emergency line at 757-380-4031.