Teecht. Cyber Troops Focus On Safety At Arctic Eagle 2018

By Army Capt. Joseph Siemandel, Joint Forces Headquarters, Washington National Guard

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska, March 1, 2018 — An electronic sensor along the to a greater extent than than 800-mile Trans-Alaska Pipeline sounds the alarm. There’s a potential pipeline leak, thus a squad is dispatched to investigate. It was a imitation alarm, merely in addition to then around other warning goes off, in addition to then another.

Soon, every sensor is chiming.

This scenario is really real, in addition to all it takes is ane malicious cyber assailant to larn inwards happen.

Identifying Cyber Threats

As usage of Arctic Eagle 2018 inwards Alaska, Air in addition to Army National Guardsmen trained on how to position a potential cyber threat.

“We wanted to exam what the operational impacts would live on if this happened,” said Scott Moreland, practise planner, Arctic Eagle 2018. “This volition exam the Guard’s mightiness to position when it has happened in addition to brand certain it is existence communicated.”

Arctic Eagle 2018 was an optimal fourth dimension to bear such a scenario. More than 1,100 guardsmen from multiple states came to Alaska to participate inwards the multi-facet exercise.

Multiple cyber-based scenarios were usage of the exercise. The offset existence a satellite crash in addition to practicing cyber hygiene, followed past times exercises on cyber safety in addition to cyber protection.

“We don’t currently own got a real-world cyber safety mission, thus what nosotros shortly create is called cyber hygiene, which is focused on training, awareness in addition to outreach,” said Capt. Robert Gordon, Director of Computers in addition to Communications, Alaska National Guard. “If a threat actor, wanted to know what the National Guard is doing, they tin shipping away rails that through their social media. That is where cyber hygiene tin shipping away assist halt the attackers.”

Lt. Col. Thomas Pries, Director of Space in addition to Integrated Air Defense, Washington Military Department, made the trip from the nation of Washington o hash out the travel existence done inwards his domicile nation inwards the cyber safety domain.

National Guard Cyber Professionals

“We own got done around extensive travel supporting populace utilities districts inwards Washington,” Pries said. “The noesis of our National Guard cyber professionals is invaluable, in addition to has already assisted inwards strengthening safety of the networks our citizens rely on every day.”

Another usage of Arctic Eagle 2018’s cyber practise was to position a phishing laid on on the metropolis of Valdez. The Port of Valdez handles to a greater extent than than 1.5 meg barrels of unsmooth oil, along alongside other goods annually.

“We chose the port because nosotros wanted to know how much it could perhaps disrupt the operations, in addition to what actions would own got place, mainly communicating alongside other organizations almost the phishing attack,” Moreland said.

Starting to own got those kinds of conversations, according to Moreland, was a priority during the exercise.

“One of the goals of Arctic Eagle 2018 was to own got scenarios that included safety in addition to protection of critical infrastructure; nosotros experience similar including cyber inwards the practise meets the state’s intent,” he said.