Second Lt. Stephanie Stanford, 90th Information Operations Squadron cyber development lead, Staff Sgt. Aaron Wendel, 90th IOS cyber network technician, and Senior Airman Brett Tucker, 90th IOS cyber systems operator, perform cyber operations at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, Aug. 1, 2012. (U.S. Air Force photo/Boyd Belcher)
Second Lt. Stephanie Stanford, 90th Information Operations Squadron cyber development lead, Staff Sgt. Aaron Wendel, 90th IOS cyber network technician, and Senior Airman Brett Tucker, 90th IOS cyber systems operator, perform cyber operations at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas, Aug. 1, 2012. (U.S. Air Force photo/Boyd Belcher)
Personnel of the 624th Operations Center, located at Joint Base San Antonio - Lackland, conduct cyber operations in support of the command and control of Air Force network operations and the joint requirements of Air Forces Cyber, the Air Force component of U.S. Cyber Command. The 624th OC is the operational arm of the 24th Air Force, and benefits from lessons learned during exercises such as Cyber Flag 13-1. (U.S. Air Force photo/William Belcher)
by Tech. Sgt. Scott McNabb
24th Air Force Public Affairs
11/30/2012 - JOINT BASE SAN ANTONIO -- LACKLAND, Texas (AFNS) -- 24th Air Force, the U.S. Air Force's cyber component to U.S. Cyber Command, took part in the Cyber Flag 13-1 training exercise at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev. Oct. 29-Nov. 8.
USCYBERCOM designed Cyber Flag to bring together Department of Defense cyber and information technology professionals to hone their cyber skills against a realistic adversary in a tactical virtual environment.
"Our increasing dependency on reliable and efficient network connectivity and the growing threat posed by cyber adversaries highlight the importance of practicing combined operations in defense of the DOD information infrastructure," said Capt. Christian Mapp, 24th Air Force exercise branch chief. "As the service provider for Air Force networks, 24th Air Force participation with the other service components is critical to ensuring a synchronized and coordinated approach to DOD network defense being available and capable should the need ever arise."
Mapp said the Air Force assembled a total force team comprised of more than 70 active duty, Reserve and Air National Guard cyber warriors from across the nation.
This year's Cyber Flag was larger than the first Cyber Flag held in 2011 on the same cyber range. This year's exercise saw approximately 700 participants, up from last year's 300, and doubled the network size. All participants had a specific role to play, playing the part of a U.S. team or role-playing an adversary.
"Exercises like Cyber Flag test participants' readiness when faced with a realistic cyber event in a stressed environment against a dynamic and skilled adversary. This was not a simple 'capture the flag' event," said Col. George Lamont, director of USCYBERCOM Joint Exercises and Training.
The exercise included an opposing force whose mission was to penetrate and disrupt the computer networks of the "good guys," or Blue Force - made up of DOD cyber service components.
Lt. Col. Jamie Maki, 24th Air Force chief of exercise and training chief, said Cyber Flag is designed to provide realistic training opportunities for a number of DOD commands to deter and, if necessary, defeat a cyber attack. Additionally, much like Red Flag is to the air world, Cyber Flag aims to give cyber operators experience with tactics, techniques and procedures of our cyber adversaries and test our own tactics, techniques and procedures. The teams were given opportunities to coordinate actions across the offensive and defensive spectrum as well as partnering with our sister services.
Despite this only being the second Cyber Flag, Maki said some of the key successes of the exercise included such efforts as the integration of cyber intelligence analysts proving invaluable to the mission planning cell, ultimately enhancing the defensive posture and virtually eliminating stovepipe efforts. Additionally, the collaboration between teams detecting cyber intrusions and first responders leveraged tactical insights and skill sets yielding greater synergy and mission effectiveness. Finally, the exercise partnered service teams with coalition partners highlighting the global nature of the cyber domain.
"Through the use of a virtual network environment, individuals supporting Cyber Flag benefited by gaining exposure to problem sets they may not normally experience in their day-to-day jobs. Furthermore the event affords the opportunity to work in concerted effort with their sister-service counterparts to operate and defend DOD networks across the full spectrum of operations against a realistic adversary," Mapp explained.
Cyber security continues to be a priority across the government. The DOD has a critical role in developing and supporting the nation's cyber security efforts.
"Cyber Flag highlights the interconnected nature of the DOD information infrastructure, making the key takeaway from Air Force Cyber Command's participation in Cyber Flag the necessity to demonstrate a holistic approach for clearing the net and securing the high ground," said Mapp.
Comments
12/10/2012 3:35:34 AM ET War Games jokes will cease to be relevant when the last of the 70s and 80s kids retire. We are not obligated to cater to kids to get nostalgic for Power Rangers.
Joshua, Sunnyvale
12/6/2012 11:57:41 AM ET So no we have to make sure the rest of the Air Force has seen the movies we have before we make a refrence.
me, over here
12/4/2012 4:57:52 PM ET I wonder how many of the younger generation get the 1980s War Games jokes that are being thrown around. Maybe update your jokes people as you are isolating half of your audience at least. Just saying.
Me, Here
12/4/2012 9:17:41 AM ET Good morning Dr. Faulkner. Would you like to a play game May I suggest chess this time Thermal Nuclear War is a no win game.
Joshua, scott
12/3/2012 8:33:58 PM ET @Random Progamer I think you are on to something. The last thing we need is some one typing in GLOBAL THERMONUCLEAR WAR in to a remote machine...We all know what happened the last time that happened...ha
WOPR, United States
12/3/2012 6:03:30 PM ET Good job Nerds. Now give me your lunch money.
Big Bully, recess
12/3/2012 12:48:49 PM ET Actually if you'd bother to check before you spam the page with your dispairaging rants--hardly anyone left the area. The great and most obvious thing about a cyber network is that it is set up and users are provided access remotely. Hence this exercise was far less involved than a Red Flag or other flight-based exercise which requires not only air resources but maintainers and possibly weapons loaders to travel with the aircraft.
Someone who knows, Lackland
12/3/2012 12:22:23 PM ET Bigtom they go to Nellis because they're timed to see how fast they can get to the user that plugged in a USB thumb drive.
Big R, Lackland
12/3/2012 12:21:37 PM ET Hardly anyone goes TDY for these joint DoD exercises. It's all performed on the JCOR network which is air-gapped from the AFGIG
SSgt Brasher, Moody
12/3/2012 10:40:07 AM ET I am happy to see this but...It would be a little more cost effective to just have our airmen participate in the SANS Cyber foundation Competition. They have several competitions and the copetitors are real world security and penetration experts.What do I know I just work on airplanes.
ThatGuy, Ellsworth AFB
12/3/2012 10:05:00 AM ET Ha I love that the picture is of a UEFI - are they competing for higher overclocks Take it all the way to 5 GHz Wonder if it has water cooling...
JB, GFAFB
12/3/2012 7:40:59 AM ET It's just a guess but for Cyber Flag they probably set up an entire standalone network so they won't affect any real world ops. If they used the actual network the exercise might accidentally do bad things to the network. Also with a standalone network in a smaller scale they'll be able to monitorrecord all activities on the network to critique and evaluate the actions of the attackers and defenders.
Random Programmer, KAFB
11/30/2012 4:49:38 PM ET I am confused. If the exercise is cyber then why send 700 people to Vegas to participate Save the money and have the cyber exercise online in the cyber world where the cyber stuff really happens anyway.
