Obama Administration To Form New Cyber War Doctrine

Swill

Intelligence
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http://www.spectator.co.uk/americano/3186321/obama-administration-to-form-new-cyber-war-doctrine.thtml

The Obama administration is set to appoint General Keith Alexander (pictured), the current Director of the National Security Agency, to be the new Cyber Czar. In a major departure from the past, Alexander, who will receive his fourth general’s star, will have an initial budget of around $8 billion and will control how it is spent within NSA, the Department of Homeland Security and the Pentagon. In effect, this will mean that the new head of NSA will report to him instead of to the Secretary of Defense on a huge area of business.

Best defense is a good offense. Hope this pays off.
 
Best defense is a good offense. Hope this pays off.

As long as we DO go on the offensive. We know where the majority of the cyber attacks against America are coming from (not that I do, I just have faith in our cyber warriors); we just have to have leadership with balls that will let us attack the attackers vice waiting & defending.
 
What's with all the "czar" business- drug czar, car czar, cyber czar... why that particular word? Why not "chief" or "head" or something?
 
What's with all the "czar" business- drug czar, car czar, cyber czar... why that particular word? Why not "chief" or "head" or something?

I'm partial to "Fuhrer" myself, but I can see where some would take offense. Maybe "Emporer" would be a better choice? How about "Pope?"

I'm with you, the whole thing is stupid.
 
Not to hijack, but the AF recently stood up AF Cyber Command, which initially I understood would be stand alone, but it appears has since been realigned under AF Space Command. I know there was some initial controversey and a hold up on the command because some (on the Hill, perhaps) thought it might be better to have an organized joint cyber command (a cyber-JSOC, if you will). I do not know what happened with that, but the AF command apparently did get the green light anyway. This thread made me think about this and I found this interesting link on the AF site.

http://www.afcyber.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123104963
by Karen Petitt
Air Force Cyber Command (P) Public Affairs

7/1/2008 - SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- The Air Force has proposed a plan to develop its enlisted and officer corps into Airmen who specialize in establishing, controlling and fighting in the cyberspace domain. That's according to Maj. Gen. William T. Lord, Air Force Cyber Command (Provisional) commander, who referenced AFCYBER's force development intent during a recent cyberspace symposium in Marlborough, Mass.

"We've created a roadmap that outlines our efforts to establish cyberspace operators, specialists, analysts and developers who grow from a basic understanding of cyberspace doctrine to experts in their respective fields. Along with outlining specific career fields that can be used throughout our Air Force, we also looked at how we can deliberately manage their career to grow cyberspace warriors, leaders and future visionaries," he said.

Cyber warriors will be identified as operators--officer and enlisted members who plan, direct and execute offensive/defensive actions; specialists--enlisted communications and information personnel who specialize in technical aspects of cyberspace; analysts--officer and enlisted intelligence personnel with the technical foundations to support cyberspace operations; and developers--primarily officers and enlisted with advanced skills for designing and modifying software/hardware packages.

This roadmap provides details about cyberspace operators and specialists. Particulars for analysts and developers are expected to be outlined later this year. These changes will affect about 30,000 active-duty members and about 2,000 Guard and Reserve forces currently performing cyber-related duties.

Maj. Timothy Franz, AFCYBER (P) chief of force development, explained that numerous teams will be meeting throughout the coming year to fine tune the changes.

"We have a lot of work ahead of us still, but we know the direction we're headed. We're now working on an implementation plan which will define specific goals, objectives and tasks to make this vision a reality. Some of these tasks can be worked quickly and others will take a few more years."

Along with identifying career specialties, the roadmap also outlines education and training paths. Professional development for the approximately 30,000 civilians in cyberspace is still under review, but they will also be fully integrated into the implementation plan.

Cyberspace Specialists
Members in the communications and information mission areas will transition to 15 new 1B Air Force Specialty Codes. This will require the phase out of the current 2E (Communications-Electronics), 3A (Information Management) and 3C (Communications and Computer Systems) specialties.

All cyber enlisted members will start off with a 1B0 or 1B1 specialists skill set (see list below). As they enter their retraining window, a select few will have the opportunity to retrain into a 1B4 operator specialty. The 1B4s will possess new skills being developed to work on-net (1B4X1) and electronic (1B4X2) warfare missions. As cyberspace operators they will attend additional cyber warfare training.

Cyberspace Operators
Many officers will have technical, and even graduate-level technical degrees, but all will develop a breadth of knowledge and experience within cyberspace. The paths for officers will allow them to be technically proficient in many areas of cyberspace and, as they progress, develop a breadth of leadership skills required for senior leadership.

Current plans call for two new officer AFSCs: a 17D Cyberspace Warfare Operator--which will require the phase out of the 33S (Communications-Computer) specialty; and a 12W Electronic Warfare Officer, which will be a subset of today's 12X Combat Systems Officer community.

Both the 17D and 12W AFSCs will be further developed under the oversight of a Cyberspace General Officer Steering Group with recommendations expected for later this year.

Cyberspace Training (VIEW TRAINING PATH PDF)
Cyberspace specific content is being added to the enlisted 2E, 3A and 3C basic technical (pipeline) courses. However, plans call for these courses to transition to the new AFSCs by 2010. This will be the first group affected by the implementation plan.

Along with new pipeline schools, there'll be advanced training via a Cyberspace 100/200/300/400 series of supplemental courses intended to focus on professional development throughout their careers. These courses will impart cyber-related knowledge, skills, and ability appropriate to an individuals' grade and experience, as well as provide exposure to aspects of the cyber warfare mission area which they may not have had experience. Cyber warriors will also attend Formal Training Units that will be specific to their duty locations and missions.

In addition, there'll be "gap training" to transition existing communications and information personnel to their new cyberspace specialties. The gap training will be provided through a blended approach of computer-based training, targeted career development courses and mobile education teams as necessary. Specifics of courses and training content are yet determined.

Cyberspace badge (VIEW PDF VERSION)
During the symposium, General Lord also revealed the proposed badge that will identify future cyber operators. The badge features: lightning bolts to signify the cyberspace domain; center bolts taken from the navigator badge and the Air Force Seal to signify cyberspace's worldwide power and reach and its common lineage and history of electronic warfare officers; and orbits to signify cyberspace's space-related mission elements. And, like other specialty badges, it will identify skill (certification) levels. Final approval and specifics of the wear criteria is under review at the air staff.

The way ahead
General Lord added, "Simply inserting new material about cyberspace power into current specialties will not suffice. We must develop future leaders who understand how cyberspace operations integrate with conventional kinetic operations at all levels of command, with our sister services and throughout the DoD. Our teams of experts will spend the next few years further refining and developing what we've outlined in this roadmap. We all have a role in defending our cyberspace capabilities, but now we're on our way to having a specific cadre of professionals who'll help work to manage, de-conflict, direct and integrate cyberspace operations."


* * * * *
1B Enlisted Specialists/Operators (VIEW PDF VERSION)
The enlisted force provides the technical depth needed to execute tactical missions. While the proposals call for the phase out of the 2E, 3A, 3C AFSCs, a review is also being done of the 1A3 (Airborne Mission Systems) as cyberspace may use portions of this skill set as well.

For now, the proposed new specialties are:

1B0X1 - Knowledge Operations: They will possess application and presentation networking skills necessary for content management, retrieval, and presentation.

1B0X2 - Cyber Systems Operations: They will focus on servers, data storage, software applications, system technologies, protocols, standards and client interfaces.

1B0X3 - Cyber Surety: They use Information Technology resources to monitor and evaluate policy and procedures to protect clients, networks, data/voice systems and databases from unauthorized activity.

1B0X4 - Computer Programmer: They will develop and standardize tools and interfaces as well as possess the ability to transform raw data into actionable C2 information. They will also translate operational offensive and defensive requirements into program code to ensure freedom of maneuver in the cyberspace domain.

1B1X1 - Client Systems Specialist: They will integrate and sustain common client-level voice, data and video devices with a primary focus on end user devices.

1B1X2 - Cyber Transport Systems Specialist: They will focus on sustainment of the network and telecommunication infrastructure, distribution media, and cryptographic equipment, for example.

1B1X3 - RF Transmissions Systems Specialists: They understand space, radio and satellite systems technologies and configurations required to integrate and sustain airborne and terrestrial multi-mode, multi-band radio frequency systems to include wireless voice, data and video systems.

1B1X4 - Cyber Spectrum Specialists: They engineer, nominate and assign frequencies to support communications requirements and coordinate frequency needs with federal, military and civil authorities.

1B1X5 - Radar Systems Specialists: They understand radar technology to support airfield, weather and early warning radar system missions. They will perform search, intercept, ID and location of sources radiating electromagnetic energy for purposes of threat recognition.

1B1X6 - Airfield Systems Specialist: They will understand meteorological, navigational and air traffic control radio, console and recorder technologies and will meet all national airspace system certification requirements.

1B1X7 - Cable/Antenna Systems Specialist: They will link the base campus voice, data and video networks and focus primarily on external communications cables and radio frequency antenna systems.

1B1X8 - Control Systems Specialist: They monitor and control emergency and distribution management systems, and supervisory control and data acquisition systems.

1B1X9 - Mission Systems Specialist: They will perform cyberspace related duties on airborne platforms and will primarily operate, maintain, repair and test airborne communications, sensor, computer and electronic systems.

1B4X1 - On-Net Operations: These are network warfare operators who provide net attack, defense and exploit capabilities to disrupt, deny, degrade or destroy information or the delivery systems themselves. (Operators - will retrain at the three-five year point.)

1B4X2 - Electronic Warfare Operations: They will integrate and sustain operations across the electromagnetic spectrum and will perform search, intercept, ID and location of sources for threat recognition and implement electronic protect and attack measures. (Operators - will retrain at the three-five year point.)


What are the thoughts on this, I would presume (perhaps I shouldn't) part of their duties would be offensive (or at least it should be, IMO). Would a joint command in touch with the NSA be a good idea, or do the other branches even have their own versions of this type of command? I know they all have some type of signals intel and such. I just found this interesting and very 21st century, so to speak.
 
The AF has two types of airmen: some of the best on the planet and some of the worst on the planet. It will be interesting to see how that plays out and what sort of training they receive.

I worked with an NCO going to the new command. She was less than thrilled with how it began, but I'm sure the bugs will be ironed out.
 
Another article; read the whole article

http://www.securitymanagement.com/n...-u-s-government-computers-says-analyst-005019

Foreign Hackers are Overwhelming U.S. Government Computers, says Analyst
By John Wagley
12/19/2008 -

Foreign hackers have accessed between half and all of the U.S. government and military computers they “have an interest in,” according to one analyst. Many of the attacks are sanctioned by the Chinese government—something few top U.S. officials are willing to acknowledge, he said.

John Tkacik, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, said his estimate was based on recent media and governmental reports along with personal interviews with U.S. officials. Chinese cyber attacks have grown so relentless and sophisticated they’ve become the “single biggest military and intelligence threat the U.S. faces.” He was speaking at a Heritage discussion titled, “Under Attack: Today’s Cyber Threat.”

There have been a series of high-profile attacks against the U.S. since last summer. Recently, Newsweek reported that computers used by both the Obama and McCain campaigns were hacked. In the past few months, a variety of news sources have reported on successful breaches on targets including the White House, the World Bank, and the Department of Defense (DoD).

There were 43,880 incidents of malicious activity from all sources against DoD and defense company computers in 2007, a 31 percent increase from the year before, according to a recent annual report from the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission (USCC).
 
Not to hijack, but the AF recently stood up AF Cyber Command, which initially I understood would be stand alone, but it appears has since been realigned under AF Space Command.

The AF stood up a command with a BG in charge. Problem was, there were no troops under that headquarters. So we had commercials showing an AF SSgt defending the entire Pentagon, when in fact......:uhh:

Not to bash my brothers and sisters in Blue, but they jumped farther and faster than they should have.

Cyber command? Are you kidding? :D

http://www.ewa-iit.com/content.asp?sectionID=2&contentID=34
 
The AF stood up a command with a BG in charge. Problem was, there were no troops under that headquarters. So we had commercials showing an AF SSgt defending the entire Pentagon, when in fact......:uhh:

Not to bash my brothers and sisters in Blue, but they jumped farther and faster than they should have.

Cyber command? Are you kidding? :D

http://www.ewa-iit.com/content.asp?sectionID=2&contentID=34

What is even more funny is calling themselves "Operators".
I can just see it now. A cyber warrior in full kit sitting in an office telling stories of how he saved the planet with his keyboard:doh::rolleyes:.
 
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