Page 12 - The Dispatch September 2018

TEXAS MILITARY DEPARTMENT
Proof PAw-sitive

CYBER DOMINANCE

Story By: Spc. Jason Archer
100th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment

AUSTIN, Texas - Cyber Shield 18 is a two-week exercise The exercise is an Army National Guard event with more
that brings together units from the Army and Air National than 800 participants from 40 states and U.S. territories,
Guard, the Army Reserve, state and federal agencies, as and it culminates with scenario-based cyber role-play.
well as experts from industry partners and academia to This is the seventh iteration of Cyber Shield which began
test technologies and tactics against cyberattacks. in 2012. This year’s exercise occupied 13 buildings and
required an estimated 58,000 feet of network cable, ac-
“Soldiers got a better understanding in their roles in cyber cording to Soldiers from the Texas National Guard’s 71st
operations,” Capt. Chester Harbert, an intelligence officer TIOG who have played a vital role in the exercise for sev-
with the 71st Theater Information Operations Group said. eral years.
“Computer network operations is one of the pillars of in-
formation operations. As new technologies emerge, so do According to Harbert, cyber infrastructure is as vital to
new threats to the U.S.’s mission in maintaining the secu- the National Guard as physical assets. National threats
rity of cyber space.” can range from lone “hacktivists” to organized countries

(ABOVE) A National Guardsman participates in Cyber Shield 2018, a joint operation that brings together military, governmental and
civilian technical experts to increase the National Guard's ability to provide state governors a versatile suite of information technolo-
gy and cyber security capability to be deployed and utilized as states develop Internet defense programs.
(Photo By: Staff Sgt. Jeremiah Runser, Indiana National Guard Headquarters)

12 TheDISPATCH SEPTEMBER 2018