Awareness is key to security

Published July 30, 2008
By Col. Al Hunt
375th Airlift Wing Commander

SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Two weeks ago, the 177th Information Warfare Aggressor Squadron and the 57th Information Aggressor Squadron came to Scott Air Force Base as part of a week-long exercise to test Joint Total Force Scott's posture and response to threats against its physical and information security. Some observations during the exercise offer critical reminders of why all members of the Joint Total Force Scott community need to remain vigilant watch of their surroundings.

One test the 177th IWAS and 57th IAS performed during the exercise was walking into buildings to see which offices they could enter and what information they could find readily available. In some buildings, the squadrons were stopped and questioned immediately by employees. In others, the squadrons roamed freely and, in some instances, managed to enter offices undetected, gaining access to paperwork on desks as well as training manuals on shelves.

It may be the warm Midwestern hospitality that keeps us from questioning strangers, but this kind of hospitality does Joint Total Force Scott a great disservice when we allow strangers to walk around in our buildings without asking who they are and what they are doing.

Our enemies do not announce themselves when they enter a room and are quite skilled at blending in with the crowd. All of us must be alert to strangers in our workspaces. Never be afraid to ask someone to identify themselves and their need to be in your building.

While kindness does have its place, it's not at the entrances of our secured buildings and spaces. These areas are guarded by badge and personal identification number entry for a reason. Think twice if it appears the person behind you has a badge as badges are easy to forge. If you wouldn't hold the door open for the enemy and the enemy can be anyone, then close the door behind you.

The other area the 177th IWAS and 57th IAS tested was information security. The squadrons were able to gain access to Scott's information network through just one user opening. The opening was created when a user opened an e-mail attachment which looked official to the casual eye, but was anything but. Like a disease, the virus spreads further and further until the entire system is affected.

The lesson here is to be ever careful of the e-mails and attachments you open. Even if the subject line appears to be a legitimate topic such as "deployment training," examine the sender carefully before opening it. If you do indeed open the e-mail and are unable to read it or find it to contain illogical or false information, notify the IT help desk and your supervisor immediately.

Be equally vigilant in protecting the information we deal with routinely...even when this information is unclassified only provide it to those with proper credentials and a valid need to know you can verify. Information contained in our workcenters may seem inconsequential but can be pieced together to form a more detailed picture for the enemy. One e-mail, for example, about a senior official's itinerary in a foreign country paired with another e-mail outlining the flight plan tied to third, separate e-mail about the foreign country's military contracts can provide valuable information to our enemies in the war on terrorism.

Concerning information security, it is most important that you keep your common access card (CAC) with you at all times. If you leave the room, take the card with you. Also, keep its accompanying PIN close hold. Never give out any password or PIN. Computer technicians do not need this information to update patches, load software, or fix computers.

CAC technology today also permits us to use digital signatures and encryption. Protect the information you send; secure it using all the tools available to you.

In our day-to-day work, it can be very easy to get caught up in the routine. We can get complacent perhaps letting what looks or sounds fishy slide. We may become easily distracted as we spread our focus in different directions trying to answer taskers, work priority projects, and lead our people.

The enemy is depending on us to do exactly that - get caught in the routine, be complacent, and become distracted. It gives them opportunity they need to do us harm.

Take a harder look, Joint Total Force Scott. Who are the people around you and what are they doing? What information are you getting and what are you sending out?

Remember Joint Total Force Scott, physical and information security depends on you. Be a good wingman!