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The 379th Expeditionary Communications Squadron hosted a Cyber Awareness Week (CAW), Sept. 11-16. The week was the brainchild of Lt. Col. Terrence Adams (front left), 379th ECS commander. His vision played out over the course of the week, by creating an event intended to increase user awareness of cyber threats and adversarial tactics. (courtesy photo)
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Cyber Awareness Week highlights importance of cyber defense
Posted 10/8/2011 Updated 10/8/2011
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Commentary by Tech. Sgt. Nicholas Martychenko
379th Expeditionary Communications Squadron
10/8/2011 - SOUTHWEST ASIA -- The 379th Expeditionary Communications Squadron hosted a Cyber Awareness Week (CAW), Sept. 11-16. The week was the brainchild of Lt. Col. Terrence Adams, 379th ECS commander. His vision played out over the course of the week, by creating an event intended to increase user awareness of cyber threats and adversarial tactics.
By incorporating fun and fitness into the week's events, the 379th ECS was able to deliver its message clearly - our cyber defense is only as strong as its weakest link, a user's awareness.
CAW kicked off with a 5K run, riding the energy and patriotism fostered by the 10th anniversary remembrance of events that occurred on Sept. 11, 2001. The week also coincided with the U.S. Air Forces Central A6 Expeditionary Communications Squadron Commander's Conference, allowing expeditionary communications squadron commanders and superintendents from across the Area of Responsibility to participate in the events, prompting some of the attendees to express interest in bringing the ideas and messages back to their home stations in order to host their very own cyber-focused week.
The 379th ECS offered a variety of classes, briefings and activities throughout the week to highlight the importance of cyber security at all levels. Regardless of your career field; intelligence, medical, fuels, aviation, personnel, transportation, maintenance or communications, the threat of an asymmetric attack on our networks is a real and viable threat. However, actions that lead to better security on our network is often something that is not forefront in the hearts and minds of Airmen going about their daily duties. Addressing these issues with a mixture of humor and contemporary content, the 379th ECS provided informative and entertaining presentations.
Squadron personnel developed a cyber defense oriented lecture series that addressed personal responsibilities for network security. Maj. Eric Trias provided an amazing brief on digital forensics, the process of computer crime investigations, to include data extraction, analysis and reporting. Senior Master Sgt. Dallas Croft focused on Cyber security for both home and the workplace, while Senior Airman Sam Weaver led interactive classes on how to use Photoshop and instruction on building websites. To top it all off, Master Sgt. Oscar Jenison offered an exciting session on professional hacker techniques used by the Air Force Red Team (the Air Force's premier network intrusion team) used to gain access to the Global Information Grid.
Always on the bounce, the 379th ECS hosted a squadron open house which highlighted the squadron's capabilities and how they provide communications throughout the AOR. Visitors saw firsthand how "local communication" services and long haul networks are integrated. To incorporate physical well-being, squadron members hosted multiple fitness events including a formation run (joined by coalition and joint partners), a cyber-Spin class and a push-up and sit-up session. The 379th ECS set up a cyber-drive-in movie viewing of "Thor" on a large outdoor projection screen. Viewers listened to the movie audio from their own car stereo! All the aforementioned events were focused on esprit de corps but each day started with a relevant cyber tip to take away. Cyber Awareness Week concluded with a formal retreat ceremony, paying respect to our nation's flag, reminding us of the importance of our mission and honoring of our brothers and sisters serving in the profession of arms.
The success of CAW parallels the 379th ECS' efforts to develop concrete ways to defend our networks. The squadron has formed a Cyber defense team postured to examine anomalies occurring on our networks with the ultimate aim of providing mission assurance in the midst of an attack. However, no technology can prevent all malicious actions or intrusions from affecting our network. Our cyber defense is only as strong as its weakest link--user awareness. ECS needs each one of you to act as cyber sensors and detect possible intrusions, as Col. Todd Gossett, 379th Air Expeditionary Wing director of staff, noted, "Everyone is a cyber defender." Users must practice good cyber defense by not falling for phishing attempts, opening unknown attachments or visiting questionable websites. And, if you do fall prey to security vulnerability, please report the incident immediately to your Client Support Administrator (CSA) or the 379th ECS Communication Focal Point.
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