[ISN] Team Edwards to devote day for network security

http://www.edwards.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123139253

By 1st Lt. William Newby
95th Communications Group
3/11/2009

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- There is an Airman on the frontlines 
fighting a battle right now, battling an enemy who hides and launches 
attacks from more than 120 countries around the world. Every 4.5 
seconds, that Airman has to face an enemy who builds new staging grounds 
for attacks. That Airman is attacked from more than 20,000 sites each 
day.

"Who is this Airman who is so unrelentingly attacked? That Airman is 
you," said Col. John Odey, 95th Communications Group commander. "The 
frontlines are as close as your computer, and your best defense is 
knowledge."

As a part of a Department of Defense-wide direction from U.S. Strategic 
Command, Edwards will hold a Network Security Focus Day on March 13. In 
an effort to inform all base users and provide solid informative 
training, the 95th CG will be hosting mandatory briefings at the base 
theater at 9 and 11 a.m., and 1 and 3 p.m.

According to the USSTRATCOM directive, cyberspace is a warfighting 
domain and the Global Information Grid is vital to national security. 
There are more than one million people who regularly use this system and 
each person plays an important role in ensuring its integrity. This 
initiative is intended to refocus the force on the threats to the system 
and their personal responsibilities to protect it.

"This training will incorporate several aspects of network security and 
information assurance to bring everyone into a more defensive mindset," 
Colonel Odey said. "We have to understand that each and every one of us 
is a defender in cyberspace, and we all have a very real and important 
responsibility to the security of our network."

All DOD military members, civilians and contractors are faced with this 
battle each and every day when they log on to the network.

"The Global Information Grid is our network," the colonel said. "It is 
what we all 'plug' into on a daily basis to do our work. Whether we are 
sending or receiving e-mails, mission planning for a sortie, conducting 
day-to-day work or caring for patients, we all use this grid to 
accomplish our missions."

Recent events continue to remind everyone that the networks are 
constantly under attack, Colonel Odey said. Because of this very real 
threat, every network user needs to adopt a more "cyber sentry" ethos to 
stay vigilant, focused and disciplined as they use the network.

"The network has become so integrated into our daily routines and is 
used so extensively in the accomplishment of our missions that its 
security has become the responsibility of all who use it," Colonel Odey 
said. "It is for this very reason that Edwards is using the Network 
Security Focus Day to train and remind our users of their responsibility 
in our very real cyber-war."

The mission of the Air Force is to fly, fight and win in air, space and 
cyberspace, he said. Because of this, it is equally as important and 
critical for Edwards to establish and maintain freedom of maneuver in 
cyberspace, as it is in the air and space domains. This will allow 
Airmen to execute the Air Force mission each day. Every Airman, to 
include civilians and contractors, is a crucial part of defending the 
cyberspace domain.


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