Every year during annual information assurance training (entitled DoD IAA CyberAwareness Challenge CBT), Jeff, the animated character in the training, asks us to help him stop adversaries from completing a successful cyberattack and he also shows us how to properly handle classified information. Every year we take his challenge and every year we succeed in thwarting adversarial cyberattacks and protecting classified information. What do we have to lose if we make a wrong decision during the CBT? Points and the Golden Cup? Retake the CBT?
Unfortunately, every year we help our adversaries with their cyberattacks and we mishandle classified information. Wouldn’t it be great if the only thing that happened was the loss of points? Yet in real life when we make a wrong decision concerning cyberattacks and classified information, we jeopardize network security and Air Force missions. There are no do-overs!
The Base Cybersecurity Office understands cyberattacks and classified information incidents (Classified Message Incident and Data Spillages) occur and the key to damage control is a quick incident response. The Base Cybersecurity Office also knows panic and indecision accompany cybersecurity and classified incidents. Knowing speed in initial notification is essential damage control, this office created the Computer/Incident Quick Reference Guide. The guide provides step-by-step actions to follow in the event of a cyberattack or a classified information incident. The guide should be a part of every user’s work area décor).
Your quick incident response is critical, but prevention is key. If you’re unsure of the proper actions to prevent cybersecurity and classified information incidents, retake the DoD IAA CyberAwareness Challenge CBT (located on the Advanced Distributed Learning Service, or ADLS website, under the Total Force Awareness Training tab, DoD IAA CyberAwareness Challenge V3). For other Cybersecurity information, go the Base Cybersecurity Office SharePoint site (https://org.eis.afmc.af.mil/sites/75cg/ia/default.aspx).
Remember, it’s easy to make the right decision when you’re in the midst of a CBT scenario and when costs are low; however, we function in the real-world and the cost of making the wrong cybersecurity and classified information decision is too much.
Be prepared to make a quick response … follow the Computer/Incident Quick Reference Guide.
