FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 5, 2021
Release #2124 Point of Contact—Jeffrey Prater, (401) 832-2039
NUWC Division Newport employee wins Providence Business News 2021 Business Women Award
Rebecca Chhim, director of cybersecurity in the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division Newport’s Undersea Warfare (USW) Combat System Integration for Submarines and USW Systems, recently won a Providence Business News 2021 Business Women Award in the Technical Services Industry Leader category. These awards recognize leading women in various business, government and nonprofit sectors.
Chhim, and resident of Tiverton, Rhode Island, is being honored as a demonstrated leader, innovator, problem solver and trusted advisor in the cybersecurity and technology arena for the U.S. Navy. She has fostered innovative approaches that changed the conversation of cybersecurity from compliance to securing tactical and business systems and quantifying risk accurately, and is constantly working to build cyber engineering competency and transform the systems engineering process to include cybersecurity requirements early in the lifecycle.
Chhim was promoted to her current role in December 2020. [link -https://www.navsea.navy.mil/Media/News/SavedNewsModule/Article/2448670/nuwc-division-newport-selects-new-director-of-cybersecurity-for-undersea-warfare/] Prior to that, she was triple-hatted as deputy department head for cybersecurity, activity chief information officer, and acting head of the information technology (IT) division.
Her noteworthy accomplishments include initiating a major modernization effort for an aging computing infrastructure, balancing new technology and capability with cyber risk and targeting areas to increase capabilities of the Navy fleet. She led Division Newport to 100% Authority to Operate for the Risk Management Framework; developed the Division’s cybersecurity program and framework; and initiated and led the IT Infrastructure Workgroup for the Undersea and Surface Warfare Center’s One-Team, defining the state of infrastructure across multiple network domains for the 10 Naval Sea Systems Command warfare centers and assessing more than 108 emerging technologies.
In addition to her work responsibilities, Chhim is an active mentor, providing academic and career planning advice to high school and college students. She is also a volunteer and victim advocate for Day One Rhode Island, whose mission is to reduce sexual abuse and violence while supporting those affected by it.
Chhim will be recognized at the Providence Business News virtual awards luncheon on May 27 at noon. For more information, visit https://pbn.com/events/2021-business-women-awards/
NUWC Division Newport is a shore command of the U.S. Navy within the Naval Sea Systems Command, which engineers, builds and supports America’s fleet of ships and combat systems. NUWC Newport provides research, development, test and evaluation, engineering and fleet support for submarines, autonomous underwater systems, undersea offensive and defensive weapons systems, and countermeasures associated with undersea warfare.
NUWC Newport is the oldest warfare center in the country, tracing its heritage to the Naval Torpedo Station established on Goat Island in Newport Harbor in 1869. Commanded by Capt. Chad Hennings, NUWC Newport maintains major detachments in West Palm Beach, Florida, and Andros Island in the Bahamas, as well as test facilities at Seneca Lake and Fisher's Island, New York, Leesburg, Florida, and Dodge Pond, Connecticut.
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