Army recruiting highly qualified Soldiers, DA civilians to serve on new specialized Cyber Protection

By 7th Signal Command (Theater) Public AffairsOctober 10, 2013

FORT GORDON, GA -- 7th Signal Command (Theater) is standing up a new Cyber Mission Unit (Provisional) to conduct focused defensive operations aimed at better protecting the Army's networks. To do so, the command is actively recruiting highly qualified and motivated Soldiers -- officer and enlisted -- as well as Department of the Army civilian operators, analysts, planners, and leaders to serve on specialized Cyber Protection Teams.

The CPTs will conduct global cyberspace operations to deter, disrupt, and help defeat the nation's adversaries in cyberspace. They will rapidly evaluate, and act proactively and reactively to dynamic cyber situations.

Department of Defense and military leaders are on record saying they believe being able to conduct successful operations in cyberspace while defending networks from attacks is crucial to our nation's security.

"Many of our adversaries lack the ability to confront our forces physically, choosing instead to employ virtual weapons with potentially devastating effect," said General Raymond T. Odierno, Army Chief of Staff. "We must take full advantage of these technologies, building our own capabilities to operate in cyberspace with the same level of skill and confidence we enjoy on the land. We will either adapt to this reality or risk ceding the advantage to future enemies."

The new CMU with its CPTs, will employ advanced cyber capabilities that will secure the Army's networks in a more proactive manner than in the past, according to Lt. Col. Philippe Persaud, CMU commander, Fort Gordon, Ga.

"It really goes back to how we've been conducting cyber defense before this point in time," Persaud said. "We were looking at the network in a passive manner. We would develop policies and procedures to defend the network. We put antivirus out there and we would patch vulnerabilities in computers, but unfortunately that was not enough. This was essentially a net that caught the big fish but allowed the little fish to sneak into the network. The only way you can truly get those sophisticated threats which I refer to as the little fish, is by changing the way you defend the network."

The CPTs will provide a comprehensive, dynamic cyber defense in-depth capability which provides a more proactive cyber defense posture with more sophisticated tools in the tool box, including greater coordination with military intelligence assets according to Persaud.

"Together, with our military intelligence partners, we will provide that dynamic cyber defense capability for the nation's combatant commands' and Army's networks. We have a variety of networks we are defending and we're going out there in a proactive fashion to find those sophisticated threats that may have gotten through our defensive perimeters," Persaud said.

Coordination between the many different cyber efforts is critical according to Persaud.

"We may not want to simply push the enemy out of our network. We may want to, for example, exploit this opportunity to gain more information on an intrusion," he explained. "So it goes farther than just defeating the network intrusions... to defeat he threat."

The first group of people selected to serve in the CPTs are currently in training, but more are needed to fill slots for teams being planned for FY 14 and beyond. The new CMU is still in the developmental stage.

"We are forging the way for what a successful cyber defense capability looks like," Persaud said. "In the end, our cyber warriors will be highly trained and qualified. Ultimately it will be their training, cunning and intuition that will all come together to effectively defeat the enemy in the cyber domain."

Soldiers and DA civilians will initially be selected for the CPTs from the ranks of Signal and Intelligence units. The next phase will include all interested applicants; anybody who has the types of skills needed on the CPTs.

Additional information and applications can be found on the 7th Signal Command website along with all required forms at http://www.7sigcmd.army.mil/CPTWeb/.

SIDEBAR:

Requirements lists

Candidates must complete and submit the applications packet consisting of:

• ORB/ERB/CRB

• Performance Appraisals

• Up to 5 recent evaluations with SSN blacked out

• Clearance Verification Memo from unit S2/G2

Process:

Recruiting Team reviews application packet and checks for derogatory information

Selection Board evaluates packets and interviews candidates

Coordination with HRC for PCS eligibility, or any other concerns

Candidate approved by CG, 7th Signal Command

Candidate completes Vanguard assessment test

Send the application packet to the 7th CMU (P) Recruiter: MSG Moises N. Robles Phone number: (706) 787-9478 E-mail: usarmy.gordon.7-sig-cmd.list.cyber-recruiting@mail.mil

For more information and to download an example application packet, visit our website at: http://www.7sigcmd.army.mil/CPTRecruit_files/frame.htm

Required

TS Clearance--capable of obtaining SCI

Deployable

Strong performance and promotion potential shown in Commander's recommendation and

performance file.

Application packet submitted and complete.

Desired

ASVAB GT and ST Score 110 or higher.

IT certifications: IAT Level II, IAM Level I or higher, SEC+ ,N+ CEH, CCNP, CCNA, GIAC, GCSC, RCHE, Linux, CISSP ….etc

Officers:

Professional and Knowledgeable in Cyber Operations

FA 53/FA 24 (CPT-MAJ)

Warrant Officers:

255A/N/S (CW2-CW3)

NCOs:

25B (SGT-SSG)

35F, 35Q (SGT-SSG

35N (SFC)

DA Civilians:

2210 (GS11 to GS13)

About 7th Signal Command (Theater): With headquarters at Fort Gordon, Ga., the command installs, operates, and defends Network and Mission Command capabilities for Joint, Interagency, Intergovernmental, and Multinational forces within the Western Hemisphere in support of Unified Land Operations. As directed, supports other national missions or contingency operations.