Cyber: are we paying enough attention?

While this will be a long post of mostly generalities, I hesitate to go into specifics so please bear with me.

Firstly in regards to the way that we as not only a nation, but also as the military, have reacted to past threats and attacks, we must remember that from the professional aspect of IT security, we can have as many preventative measures in place as we want, but we are always fighting a reactive battle. While some may not see it that way, the reality is that way most vulnerabilities are discovered is by an attempted attack or a successful one, it is only at that point can the vulnerability be assessed and mitigated. From a national perspective, we can not truely regulate or mandate the levels of security for individuals, simply because of our freedoms, and I do not have a problem with that. But at the same time, there are numerous regulations and best practices that are in place for the civilian world, primarily the corperate arena, that are in place to help prevent the types of successful attacks that we have witnessed lately. From a government/military standpoint, we have the added benifit of more strict regulation and oversight which help combat the threats that are currently out there. The government networks are more secure than the civilian counterparts, but the reality is that no network is ever 100% secure, as you must always balance secutiry with useability. Every once and a while you will see a news story on a thwarted attack on a government network, but how many go unnoticed or unpublicised? Historically the government networks have been much more successful in combating cyber threats than the civilian ones, with the exception of insider threats such as Manning or Snowden.

The way ahead for this arena of battle is training, training, and more training. The technology is always progressing, and neccessary knowledge level of the attackers is steadily decreasing. The tools used by hackers are becoming more and more complicated and advanced, but their interface and ease of use is such that an unskilled user can wreak havok on a network with nothing more than a few simple command lines or mouse clicks. The only way that we can combat these attacks in the future is to continue on the path that we are currently on, but with more training, down to the lowest levels. Without going into details, we as a military are progressing very well to combat the current and emerging threats out there, though everyone must understand that this is an ever evolving battlefield, not only in landscape, but also in the weapons that are used. 

As for our Soldiers that hold IT based MOS's, it is very difficult to try to fit them into the equation of IT security. The amount of time that a security professional is able to spend on a specific network will of course dictate how well they know and understand that network. That level of understanding will of course make it easier to identify problems, security concerns, or attacks. With the turnover of Soldiers due to PCS moves, promotions, or any action that moves the Soldier from a familiar network to a new one, it is like starting over at ground zero all over again. That being said, that does not mean that our Soldiers should not be training themselves to be able to make an impact, as SGM Brainard stated, Skillport has all the tools that are required, and it is free of charge. To obtain the industry certifications is still not all that difficult either, as they can be obtained and paid for through the education center as well. Unfortunately, from what I have experienced, it is uncommon for our Soldiers to actually be working on our networks while stateside.

To bridge the gap left by the rotation of military personnel, we have contractors and GS employees. While there is always some hesitation in placing trust in civilians to do important military functions, these personnel allow for a continuity of knowledge and experience. In most cases these individuals are already established and certified IT professionals, and are familiar enough with the networks to be able to identify problems and potential threats. Additionally they can be a fountain of knowledge to our Soldiers, sharing experience and giving some hands-on training where appropriate.