Before I get too far into this blog, I want everyone to understand I’m using the old definition of “hacking” (the good kind) when talking about NASA hacks.  Also, I’m talking about NASA employees hacking, not NASA being hacked.

Turns out there’s a rip in a solar array that needs to be fixed quickly.   If not, NASA’s schedule will be impacted negatively.  To correct this problem, the astronauts are going to attempt a spacewalk and patch the tear using “a makeshift brace […] using short strips of aluminum and tape.”  Ingenuity at its finest… and it will probably work.

What’s caught my attention about this whole incident is here is an organization that is so fixated on procedures and redundancy that you would think they would have a difficult time thinking outside the box.  This isn’t the first time NASA has had to scramble with unique ideas to get past an obstacle, but it seems that it would be a difficult mental hurdle to jump for people steeped in repetition and strict procedural guidelines.  Well, it turns out that NASA focuses heavily on learning Creative Problem Solving, which has helped keep people alive.  Yes, there have been some disasters associated with the NASA space program, but that does not mean their creative process has failed.  If anything, the failures have pushed the need for creativity further.

So, how does strips of aluminum and tape translate to IS security management?  The creativity at NASA isn’t something inherent in the organization - it is trained into the programs, employees, and contractors.  There is a concerted effort on the part of NASA to teach creative problem solving, knowing that it will be needed in the future.  How many security organizations are teaching problem solving to their employees, or just falling back on the assumption employees are clever enough and will come up with a solution when a problem presents itself? Creative problem solving is something that can be taught, and should be encouraged within all organizations, not just ones who shoot people into space.