I am fortunate enough to lead the 90th Cyberspace Operations Squadron, a unit that delivers software to enable cyberspace operations for combatant commands and the military services. Testing is a vital part of delivering software successfully, but there are many philosophies around how to do so. Our needs around testing are somewhat unique. This post describes how we need to shape our thinking for the future.
Today Today we are in a fortunate position regarding test.…
Highly educated on the science of information assurance
Doctrinally trained on the art of cyber warfare
Adequately resourced in talent, time, and treasure
Thoroughly briefed on target missions and systems
Mathematically specialized in architectural properties
Superiorly skilled in byzantine failure analysis
Intricately involved in protocol specification and analysis
Critically embedded in the supply chain
Strategically postured in command and control
Conveniently situated for access and persistence
The paper uses these points to demonstrate how an adversary thinks about attacking our systems. However, I see a lot of ways in which these should coerce the DoD to make serious changes in how we build and maintain our cyber professional workforce.
This is a fictional imagining of what could be.
Dear Journal,
I took a refreshing break from my staff job today to keep up my “mission qualification”, and it really re-centered me. Sim time is something only pilots used to talk about, but the new “cyber sim” concept has brought that idea into the info ops world. Stupid name, great concept.
I took my laptop out to the local library and sat in a back room one of the squadrons borrows regularly.…