Cyber warfare

[sandspur]

Find it interesting to follow the growth of the Air Force cyber warfare organizations.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/26/24th_cyber_pinned_down/

Looks as if the pointy end of the cyber warfare stick will be the 67th Network Warfare wing.

Airmen assigned to the 67th will, of course, wear the distinctive silver lame berets and ascots for that "tin foil hat" look.

sandspur
living and dying in runlevel three

[kilar]

I know this is an old post, but I wanted to provide an update. I am stationed here at Lackland, the home of the 24th AF and home of the new "cyber warfare headquarters". I took a cyber defense class last year and was highly disappointed in the "professional cyberdefenders' " inability to use UNIX or Linux when the Windows computers went down. It's true! The Windows XP machines used for cyberdefense were offline, so they went to the backup Linux computers and I would up teaching the class that I was supposed to be taking simply due to the instructor not being familiar with Linux. I did find a few Apple computers out here, but only a few people who were actually knowledgeable.

In short, all DoD cyberdefenses appear to be in the hands of Microsoft and a few Microsoft-based applications that any monkey can operate, as long as nothing goes wrong.

[danc]

In short, all DoD cyberdefenses appear to be in the hands of Microsoft and a few Microsoft-based applications that any monkey can operate, as long as nothing goes wrong.

I can assure you that this is *NOT* true for all parts/branches of the military.  Certainly not for the Navy that I retired from a few years ago.  Please remember that there is more to the DOD than just the Air Force...

Dan

[kilar]

Sorry, I was just exaggerating in my venting. Yes, there are UNIX, Linux, and even Apple systems defending the network in the Air Force, or even at national agencies (joint service). I still would generalize network defense on the whole across all services as being defended on Microsoft Windows with special applications made by a select few vendors. I actually do not work with the Air Force with cyber missions--my cyber mission is a joint-service one from a national agency. The Air Force guys just sit upstairs. I will still assert that DoD in general could do a better job of defending the network if it would move away from its preferred vendors (Microsoft, Lockheed Martin) more often.