Air Force effort bolsters cyber weapon systems

The Air Force has launched an initiative designed to streamline its cyber weapon systems tools.

Sixteenth Air Force personnel, also known as Air Forces Cyber, said the 12N12 project, which launched July 1, seeks to replace, reduce and consolidate the tools, systems and applications operators and analysts use within the cyberspace security and defense mission area to approximately 12 by July 1, 2020.

Officials said 12N12 aligns with initiatives focused on simplifying and improving full-spectrum weapon systems using agile methodologies to prepare for future peer-adversary threats.

“The goal is to reduce the number of applications in our cyber weapon systems, which in some cases are as many as 70, to about a dozen, and do so in 12 months or less,” Col. Sean Kern, 26th Cyberspace Operations Group commander, said. “But this is absolutely not just a technology initiative. It is about our Airmen and our ability to produce a highly trained and ready cyber force that possesses the appropriate tactics, techniques, procedures, and tools, to gain and maintain operational access for core missions and generate desired effects in and through cyberspace.”

Staff Sgt. Trevor Daher, 33rd Network Warfare Squadron cyber operator, said replacing old tools with new ones would be amazing.

“These tools have capabilities we don’t currently have,” he said. “Many of them can automate a decent portion of what we do, allowing us to spend more time investigating more malicious activities.”

Kern said the status quo will not work.

“Air Combat Command’s efforts to implement agile methods will be critical to achieving our desired July 1, 2020 end state,” he said. “By next year, you can expect to see an Airman sitting at a single console, conducting cybersecurity and defense and not having to move from system to system to do their job.”