Cyber culture change

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Sean Murphy
  • 48th Mission Support Group deputy commander
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  You Tube, Facebook and Twitter... is that what you think of when you hear "cyber"?
Not me. I think about the Russians' paralyzing network attack on Estonia prior to their ground invasion in 2007. I think about terabytes of data siphoned off our unclassified military network by our adversaries. I think about the protection of my social security number, financial information and online accounts.

Our adversaries are changing the way they fight, the way they attack and the way they compete with militaries twice their size and with far superior weaponry. The cost of warfare for our adversary makes it hard to compete against a Strike Eagle, Viper or Raptor. Instead, it is much cheaper to compete against a firewall, a Common Access Card PIN, or an online portal - and potentially more lethal.

We've grown up thinking the United States military is number one at everything. We have the most powerful Navy, the most gung-ho Marines, the most advanced Army and the most dominating Air Force. No one would argue any of these assertions. But we are not the best cyber force in the world. In fact, many would argue that we are not in the top three. What can we do to dominate cyberspace like we do other traditional military domains? One option would be to leave it to the base communications squadron, the help desk, or the new 24th Air Force "Cyber NAF." That would be the easy thing to do: count on someone else to solve this problem. Unfortunately, it is going to take a lot more than comm people to do this. All of us will need to do our part.

Just like every Airman is a defender and a sensor for our base's perimeter and force protection, each Airman is also a defender and a sensor on our computer network. Every day that you pull your CAC card when you walk away from your computer, every time you change your password to meet stronger requirements, every time you encrypt an unclassified but sensitive email, and all those times you use SIPRNet to send classified messages you are being a defender of our networks and a pain in the rear to our adversary. While you wait for the next TCNO patch to load, properly file official documents on computer drives, and when you cautiously make posts on newly accessible social media sites without compromising OPSEC, you are defending our country in cyberspace. You are a cyber warrior no matter how embarrassed you are to admit it!

Additionally, we must strengthen our cyber force. Improving the pool of personnel who actively defend our network and can appropriately engage our enemy in cyberspace is paramount. An interesting article in the Small Wars Journal titled "Recruiting, Development, and Retention of Cyber Warriors Despite an Inhospitable Culture" sheds light on the importance, yet difficulties, of recruiting, developing, and retaining cyber warriors in order to compete in cyberspace. The authors argue that the expert computer "geek" that might provide unparalleled skill in attacking enemy networks probably doesn't find the twice-yearly PT test, the strict regulations, and the disciplined military lifestyle appealing. Needless-to-say, the military will have to find a way to entice these intellectual minds to join the military in defense of our nation.

Development of the cyber force is equally as important as recruiting them. We have thousands of cyber personnel already in uniform and working alongside of us in civilian attire. Proper training and smart assignments placement will help develop the right type of cyber killer. Whether it's the new undergraduate cyber warfare training, realignment of AFSCs, or integrating the latest technologies into our network, the development of the force will provide huge dividends when the time comes.

Finally, the methods in which we retain our cyber expertise will say a lot about just how serious our country is about acquiring the world's premier cyber force. Some argue that incentive pay or special duty pay for the true cyber warrior would help keep him or her in uniform. Maybe a specialized cyber track could be developed that doesn't require every Airman to grow up to be a supervisor, manager, or EPR/decoration writer. In the past, the warrant officer track would have been a good example. Now, maybe promoting based upon technical knowledge, not just leadership ability, could be an option. We have got to do whatever we can to recruit, develop, and retain the right cyber personnel. That's what it will take to be number one in cyberspace.

I love the sound of the jets thundering overhead as it distinctly feels like U.S. military power at its finest. When will the time come where a crashing enemy network or a cyber-induced power outage will stir about the same excitement as pulling seven Gs and putting the cross-hairs of a 2,000 pound bomb on an enemy facility? Maybe not today or tomorrow, but re-read this article in 10 years and see if you are a cyber believer. Until then, help develop our cyber force by being a good steward of our network, a defender of the electrons and a recruiter of tomorrow's cyber experts.