Air Force CIO Priorities: Networking At Mach 6

Air Force CIO Priorities: Networking At Mach 6

As the push for improved cyber security continues, the US Air Force looks to take a lead. For the past decade, the advancements in cyber security have been dwarfed by the skill of computer hackers. It’s been very interesting to watch the Internet develop throughout my lifetime, but I cannot remember a single time when it wasn’t susceptible to cyber crime. Even the US Government has been unable to prevent hackers from infiltrating. It is a known fact that there is no way to prevent all cyber crime, however the US Government cannot allow their system to be infiltrated as it was a few years ago.

Lt. Gen. William Lord, the Air Force’s CIO, isn’t satisfied with the steps taken thus far to protect the military branch’s computer systems and networks. Lord worries that intruders will get past the Air Force’s network perimeter defenses and he’s aggressively trying to prevent it. Lord’s goal is to advance the Air Force’s cyber security operations from their current level of “information assurance” to "situational awareness”. While Lord seems to have an excellent plan and the credentials to execute such an operation, the task is extremely difficult. There are some major areas where security lacks that need improvement in order for the fight against cyber crime to succeed.

There are some major areas that need to be improved for the US Air Force. Cyber security must be improved. Cyberspace defenses are the first priority for the USAF. Without immense improvements to this system, any other changes will be pointless. The plan to improve security is a “layered defense” strategy composed of packet inspection, network mapping, sensors, and more. Another goal of Lord’s is to use IT in the most efficient ways possible, which will save the US Government billions. A large part of the government’s lack of security is the fact that outdated technology is used. Closing that gap is a difficult task, but with the savings from more efficiently using IT, should not be a problem. The Air Force has a good working relationship with the IT industry, but “we need a better one,” Lord added. The Air Force also wishes to improve technological communication in the air. For years, satellites have been able to relay information to personnel on the ground, but the USAF has been testing equipment that can stream live video from spy planes flying 6 times the speed of sound to tanks on the battlefield.

I think the Air Force has made some good decisions on how to tackle the problems surrounding IT and cyber security. Lord is definitely an excellent pick to be the CIO because of his extensive experience in cyber security and he is technologically savvy. During the past year, the Air Force has changed the job classification of 30,000 personnel to that of Cyberspace operators and officers. This conversion shows the USAF is finally acknowledging the seriousness of our nation’s security, and that immense damage can be done to a nation without stepping foot on their land or dropping a single bomb.

http://www.informationweek.com/news/government/leadership/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=228200339