PNNL

A team of researchers at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) has received the prestigious 2025 National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Chief Information Officer (CIO) Achievement Award for developing an innovative solution to enhance secure communications.  

The award ceremony, which took place on August 19 at the NNSA headquarters in Washington, D.C., recognized leaders across the NNSA CIO work space, which ensures that the Department of Energy (DOE) and NNSA, a semiautonomous agency within DOE, maintain secure, resilient, and mission-ready capabilities to support national security and emergency response objectives.  

The honored researchers at PNNL, known as the “NESTNet Red Team,” were recognized for their contributions to the Assured Communications portfolio and were led by Technical Advisor Katie Knobbs. Key technical contributions were provided by: 

• Bill Nickless, principal cyber security architect, who led the development of novel wide-area network approaches 
• DJ Moore, cloud engineer, who guided the implementation of modern cloud technologies 
• Scott Snyder, senior IT engineer, who spearheaded secure endpoint technologies. 

On the importance of the award, Knobbs said, “Beyond my team’s contributions, this award also shines a light on the mission of the Nuclear Emergency Support Team (NEST), which has been dedicated to being our nation’s first line of defense against nuclear threats since 1974.”  

She continued, “When you’re dealing with threats of this magnitude, communication is everything…The ability to talk securely and reliably, no matter the circumstances, is the lifeline that makes their entire response possible.” 

From a problem to a concept

The projects origins trace back to a 2022 sponsor visit at PNNL, where a need for robust, collaborative, and connected classified communication was discussed. Katie Knobbs noted that while “the challenge was difficult, it seemed feasible.” 

This forward-guiding belief led to an initial investigation being funded by NNSA’s Office of Nuclear Forensics, in which it was shown that her initial vision wasn’t just feasible, it was achievable. Following this groundwork, which included specification and design requirements, the team secured funding from NNSA’s Nuclear Incident Response and NNSA’s Information Management to fully design and build the NESTNet Red capability.  

From a concept to a capability

A key enabler of the team’s success was their novel approach of merging foundational research with real-world, deployable capabilities. By continuously challenging existing norms, rooted in the question of “Why not?,” the researchers introduced new technological options in cloud, wide-area network, and secure endpoint technologies—bringing them to the forefront of what is possible for assured communications.  

“Together, this group of leaders and the incredible team of individuals that support them worked diligently to overcome challenges, collaborate with multiple stakeholders, and drive this effort forward,” said Gariann Gelston, program manager for PNNL’s Nuclear Incident Response program. 

She continued, “This early recognition of the team's work is a testament to their diligence, ingenuity, and ability to demonstrate impactful solutions. I couldn’t be prouder of what they’ve accomplished with their demonstrations and am excited to continue building on this momentum for an anticipated delivery of an operational system later this year.” 

Gelston, credited with building and supporting this rockstar team, highlighted the unique environment at PNNL where research staff directly engage with operations staff. “This results in a combination of cutting-edge ideas that are grounded in real-world delivery techniques,” she added.  

The wider project team included crucial support from: Nate Russo, deputy program manager; Amanda Knight, program analyst; IT engineers Jordan Filburn, Shain Lindblom; cyber security engineers, Krishna Kushal, Roger Hambidge, Andy Do; Jill Pospical, national security specialist; Jamie Berglund, financial coordinator; Andrea Luther, contracting professional; and Faith Follett, program and project senior administrator. 

From a capability to an operational reality  

Since developing the capability, the team has conducted several technical exchanges and demonstrations for key partners, including the NNSA Office of Counterterrorism and Counterproliferation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Defense. These efforts are driving programmatic maturity across the National Security Enterprise as the team’s capability prepares for a planned operational rollout later this year.  

The award is just one tangible example of PNNL’s commitment to advancing science and technology to secure a safer today and tomorrow. For more information on PNNL’s work in national security, visit our dedicated webpage.