MACDILL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Cybersecurity is a buzzword that’s been floating around for the past decade, but it’s never been more critical to military operations as it is today, and it’s expected to get much more complex.
Every day a foreign entity is attacking America’s cyber house, and it’s up to us to protect it. The 6th Air Mobility Wing will undergo a Command Cyber Readiness Inspection from Aug. 28 to Sept. 1, 2017. U.S. Cyber Command has tasked the Defense Information System Agency with accomplishing this inspection.
The 6th Communications Squadron is preparing diligently for this base-wide effort; everything from training personnel to dissecting the network for vulnerabilities and ensuring all physical security requirements are met.
The 6th CS works closely with the cyber focused 24th Air Force by securing hardware, software and infrastructure to maintain the integrity of network operations.
Firewalls, anti-virus software and intrusion protection systems are the first line of defense for any network; continuous monitoring is the second, and the last line of defense is you, the user. To secure MacDill’s cyber house, everyone’s participation is crucial.
Cyber is a rapidly evolving domain, which means 100 percent security is a very elusive goal. However, there are basic steps you can do to secure your online profile. Completing Information Assurance computer-based training, restarting your computer every day, and never leaving a logged-in computer unattended are the basic things every user should do to help prevent cyber threats from affecting daily operations.
Leaving your computer on or just doing a restart when leaving at the end of the day helps the communications squadron maintain access to push patches during the least intrusive time to your daily mission.
Attacks on the cyber domain are also increasing in complexity. Hackers in cyberspace are like termites in your home. You can only do so much to block them from gaining entrance into your network, but once there, without constant vigilance, they can cause severe damage. This is why daily maintenance, user training, and rebooting your machine regularly are so important, your full support is needed.
We need your full support in preparing your workspace for the 6th AMW CCRI. Cybersecurity threats are not going away, and cybersecurity will only become more important in the future.
For more information, contact the Wing Cybersecurity Office at 828-4149.