As if the military didn’t have enough irrational fears about online technology…
From af.mil:
“Intruders” from cyberspace are trying to hack into the Kadena Air Base network and steal information from unsuspecting e-mail users.
The intruders are not hackers, though they pretend to be to gain access to information they would need if they wanted to cripple the mission here.
Fortunately, they are not a real threat but a group of Airmen from the 18th Communications Squadron’s “Blue Team” charged with strengthening Kadena’s network through training, testing and assessing users.
“(Lt. Col. Clayton Perce, 18th CS commander) recognized we had people in our squadron with the unique talent of understanding the mindset of hackers,” said Lt. Col. Alonna Barnhart, 18th CS Blue Team officer-in-charge. “We act as ‘blue team aggressors’ against Kadena’s network users, helping people recognize the threat, train for the threat and retrain as necessary.”
One of the biggest threats to the local network is an e-mail scam known as phishing. Phishing is an attempt to acquire sensitive information by fraudulent means such as e-mail designed to look like a bank or other trustworthy company. Sensitive information sought by hackers includes usernames, passwords and credit card numbers.
I think the way that this story is written shows how much public affairs types have acquiesced to network administrator types when it comes to use of the Internet. Under the frame presented in this story (and furthered by network administrators), online technology is rife with danger. Watch out or the enemy will get you online.
No wonder the “ban MySpace/YouTube” forces are winning the DoD’s internal struggle for ownership of the Internet.
Why aren’t there more articles about how the Internet is a powerful force in helping the military gather intelligence and fight our nation’s wars? Because it wouldn’t fit with the big, bad Internet storyline?
But maybe he should have
The D-Ring 