Moore Helps Pilot Puget Sound Through Rough Water of Cyber Seas

Moore Helps Pilot Puget Sound Through Rough Water of Cyber Seas

By Dan Silvia, Communications Manager

As the Branch Manager, Cybersecurity Branch, at the Puget Sound Naval Yard in Bremerton, Washington, Ian Moore is tasked with making sure the yard enjoys smooth sailing through the rough water that constitutes today’s cyber seas.

Moore is about seven months into the job having earned his Master of Science in Cybersecurity from Bellevue University in 2012.

“I am really enjoying all of the different parts of our IT department that I get to be a part of,” Moore said. “I am constantly looking into projects with my Cybersecurity lens and asking about controls and vulnerabilities. I also work with a great team that has literally hundreds of years working in the shipyard.”

Moore, who has served stints in both the U.S. Navy (1994-98) and the U.S. Air Force (2002-2006), earned an associate’s degree at Shoreline (WA) Community College in 2000. He followed up with a bachelor’s degree at the University of Washington in 2002.

“I enrolled in Shoreline right after getting out of the Navy, so my brain was a sponge, and I did really well because I was truly ready to be in college,” Moore said. “My experience was very positive. I determined what degree program I wanted to pursue at UW and made all of the right choices to get in. Shoreline also helped me financially because of the cost savings for the first two years. “

Moore was in a civilian role at Offutt AFB when he started considering a Master’s degree.

“I started to look for a good school to work on my Master's degree, and Bellevue University was local and had a great degree, Cybersecurity. That was all it took,” Moore said. “It was a great choice for me. I've only reaped rewards from this degree.”

The degree has paid dividends for Moore including an invitation to serve as an adjunct professor in the program.

“This degree, along with my certifications, places me head and shoulders above the competition,” Moore said. “During my education at Bellevue University, I had opportunities to show my ability to present and demonstrate my understanding of the material. Through this I was asked to return as an adjunct professor, once my one year of industry experience was complete. I've been teaching ever since.”

Juggling school work and other responsibilities is a challenge for many students. Moore was no exception during his time at Bellevue University including finishing up his final paper while en route to Disney World.

“I have two boys who are now 11 and 13, so while I was in school in 2010-2012, I had to balance my time because I wanted to ensure that my boys didn't resent my education because of all the time I spent at the computer,” Moore said. “Once I settled into a routine I worked from around 9:30 to 12:00 every night during the week. That way the boys would be in bed and their time with me wouldn't be influenced by my classes. To this day there was only one time where they remember me working with them awake and that was when we went to Disney World by car. I still had a final paper to turn in on our first night there. I had to finish using the glow of my laptop for light while everyone else was trying to get to sleep.”