Hamre "Cuts" Op Center Ribbon, Thanks Cyberwarriors

 By Jim Garamone
 
American Forces Press Service


 ARLINGTON, Va. -- Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre
 presided over an Aug. 11 "virtual" ribbon-cutting ceremony
 here officially opening the Joint Task Force - Computer
 Network Defense operations center.

 The joint task force, located at the headquarters of the
 Defense Information Systems Agency, is the focal point for
 defense of DoD computer systems and networks. Hamre called
 the task force an investment America must make.

 "Several times I've testified and talked on Capitol Hill
 about the future electronic Pearl Harbor that might happen
 to the United States," Hamre told the standing room only
 crowd. "I've used that expression not to talk about
 surprise attacks. � The most important message about Pearl
 Harbor was the way in which we had actually prepared well
 in advance for the war that came."

 He said the designs for the capital ships the Navy used
 during World War II were finished before Dec. 7, 1941. Most
 of the designs for Army Air Forces combat aircraft were
 also finished before America entered the war.

 "They had the foresight to see [the war] coming and do
 something about it," Hamre said. "That really was the
 message of Pearl Harbor. It wasn't that we got hit. It was
 that we were ready to respond."

 That's what drives the task force -- DoD is not just about
 fighting America's battles now, but also those in the
 future.

 "It's buying the infrastructure, in advance, that we know
 we are going to need at some point in time," he said. "It's
 [about] building the infrastructure and the resources, the
 talents and the skills. It's about growing that human
 resource needed for when that next Pearl Harbor comes."

 Hamre said defending DoD's computer systems and networks is
 "stretching everyone's imagination." The task force
 achieved initial operating capacity on Dec. 30, 1998, and
 full operating capacity on June 30. Establishing the office
 has not been easy, he noted, because the personnel had to
 start up while at the same time, fight a cyberwar. "[DoD]
 has been at cyberwar for the last half a year,� Hamre said.
 �At least we have a place now that can do something about
 it."

 Air Force Maj. Gen. John H. Campbell, task force commander,
 said his organization brings an operator's eye to the
 table. His staff, he said, can assess what an attack is
 doing to a system and can tell what effect the attack would
 have on operations.

 "The JTF is the first DoD-wide organization that can
 actually direct the military services to take actions to
 defend DoD systems and networks," Campbell said.

 DoD officials have said 80 to 100 computer "events" occur
 daily in department systems. Of these, about 10 require
 further analysis.

 To date, DoD officials have no knowledge of a breach of a
 classified system. But the joint task force is running into
 increasingly sophisticated attackers. Officials believe the
 technology for detecting and tracking violators is keeping
 up with the attackers.

 "DoD has come a long way, and the joint task force has
 given DoD a mechanism that allows more coordination between
 the services and agencies that just didn't exist before,"
 said JTF spokesperson Melissa Bohan. "The JTF � looks
 across the department and monitors computer incidents.
 However, this is an area for continuing research and
 development.

 Joint Task Force - Computer Network Defense has already
 made itself felt throughout the department. It recently
 issued a directive instructing all the services and other
 DoD organizations to complete a number of actions to
 improve network and system security. The actions included
 changing administrative and user passwords and then
 restarting operating systems with a "warm boot" -- like
 using a home computer's "reset" button rather than its on-
 off switch.

 "DoD organizations are implementing this advisory as their
 own management deems appropriate," Bohan said. "The JTF's
 service components and the Defense Information Systems
 Agency's DoD Computer Emergency Response Team, and other
 nonintelligence DoD agencies, must comply. For the
 intelligence-based DoD agencies and the commanders in
 chief, this message was for coordination and information
 only. The change is still on-going."

 Hamre said all of DoD must become more concerned about
 computer security, and he thanked the members of the Joint
 Task Force for their efforts. "When [cyberwar] becomes
 really serious, the department will be ready, thanks to
 your efforts," Hamre said.

 

	Operations specialists constantly monitor the DoD networks at the operations room of Joint Task Force - Computer Network Defense. DoD photo
	Army Lt. Gen. D.J. Kelley, Defense Information Systems Agency director; Art Money, senior civilian official for command, control, communications and intelligence; Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre; and Air Force Maj. Gen. John Campbell, Joint Task Force - Computer Network Defense commander get ready to initiate a "virtual" ribbon-cutting ceremony to formally open the Joint Task Force. Photo by John Kandrac.
	The Joint Task Force - Computer Network Defense is "about growing that human resource needed for when that next Pearl Harbor comes," Deputy Defense Secretary John Hamre said as he presided over a ribbon- cutting formally opening the task force operations center. Photo by John Kandrac.

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Aug1999/n08241999_9908241.html