Washington Army National Guard Soldiers educate tomorrow's cybersecurity experts

By Spc. Alec DionneJuly 16, 2018

Washington Army National Guard Soldiers educate tomorrow's cyber-security experts
1 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Soldiers from 56th Theater Information Operations Group, Joint Force Headquarters, and Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 181st Brigade Support Battalion, 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, pose with participants of International Collegiate Cyber ... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Washington Army National Guard Soldiers educate tomorrow's cyber-security experts
2 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. Sunia Laulile, Alpha Company, 156th Information Operations Battalion, 56th Theater Information Operations Group, works to breach a network as an opposing force during the International Collegiate Cyber Defense Invitational, July 6, 2018, at High... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Washington Army National Guard Soldiers educate tomorrow's cyber-security experts
3 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Sgt. 1st Class Samuel Anderson, Joint Force Headquarters, Washington National Guard, advises Cpt. Sameer Puri, 56th Theater Information Operations Group, during the International Collegiate Cyber Defense Invitational, July 6, 2018, at Highline Commun... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Washington Army National Guard Soldiers educate tomorrow's cyber-security experts
4 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Cpt. Sameer Puri, 56th Theater Information Operations Group, Warrant Officer 2 Teonie Curtis, Headquarters, and Headquarters and Headquarters Compnay, 181st Brigade Support Battalion, Sgt. 1st Class Samuel Anderson, Joint Force Headquarters, Spc. Sun... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Washington Army National Guard Soldiers educate tomorrow's cyber-security experts
5 / 5 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Spc. Sunia Laulile, Alpha Company, 156th Information Operations Battalion, 56th Theater Information Operations Group, and Sgt. 1st Class Samuel Anderson, Joint Force Headquarters, Washington National Guard, work to breach a network as an opposing for... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

DES MOINES, Wash. -- A Soldier opens his laptop, and the attack begins. Spc. Sunia Laulile, Alpha Company, 156th Information Operations Battalion, 56th Theater Information Operations Group, types efficiently, shutting down the opposing system. Malware is installed, the system is crippled, the mission is a success.

This was not a real world attack, however, but an exercise July 6 at the International Collegiate Cyber Defense Invitational at Highline College in Des Moines, Washington.

Washington Army National Guard Soldiers from the 56th Theater Information Operations Group, Joint Force Headquarters, and Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 181st Brigade Support Battalion, 81st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, were invited to the exercise to help train the nation's next generation of cybersecurity professionals.

"Our team did extremely well. They showed how the security flaws in computer systems and networks can be exploited," said Capt. Sameer Puri, 56th Theater Information Operations Group.

The Soldiers acted as the opposing force during the invitational, and students acted as the network's defenders. Students were graded on how well they protected their computer systems from the Soldiers' cyberattacks. At the end of each iteration, the Soldiers and students came together to discuss how to better improve their response to the attacks.

This was valuable training for Guard Soldiers too. "We have more freedom of execution here," said Laulile.

Events like these give cyber-professional Soldiers the operational freedom to practice their skills in real time. They get to break the mold and experiment with new ways to disrupt a computer network.

"Cyber Exercises like ICCDI helped to build better cyber resilience and enhances the mutual cooperation between the Washington National Guard and academia in the field of cyber security," said Puri.

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