[ISN] Army focuses on cyber protection

[InfoSec News]

http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2004/1220/web-armywp-12-23-04.asp

By Frank Tiboni 
Dec. 23, 2004

A recently issued Army white paper, "Fight the Network," provides a 
new framework for the Signal Regiment, the service's communications 
organization, as it changes to support lighter, more mobile 
warfighting units.

Army information technology officials devised the document to help 
foster a different mind-set for communications personnel in defending 
and managing the service's networks, said Gordon Van Vleet, public 
affairs officer for the service's Network Enterprise Technology 
Command/Ninth Army Signal Command at Fort Huachuca, Ariz. Netcom 
officials oversee the operation, management and protection of the 
Army's networks.

"Never before has the Signal Regiment been as critical to the success 
of our Army," Lt. Gen. Steve Boutelle, the service's chief information 
officer, wrote in the document's introduction.

Army IT officials want the service's communications personnel to 
"fight" the network so they can provide secure, ample communications 
on demand to soldiers in combat anywhere in the world. The document 
identifies the importance of network availability, interoperability 
and control. 

The white paper marks Army IT officials' third wide-scale attempt in 
recent months to alert personnel to the urgency of operating and 
protecting the service's networks. In August, Boutelle told Army IT 
personnel at a conference that the service's systems are increasingly 
under cyberattack. 

In November, Boutelle's office released a brochure, "Fight the 
Network: The Network as a Weapon System," that highlights main points 
in the white paper.

Industry officials said Boutelle and Army IT officials will likely 
focus on strengthening the operation, management and protection of the 
service's IT infrastructure during the upcoming fiscal 2006 budget 
process. They expect that Army officials will want to further 
consolidate the service's enterprise IT infrastructure.

Among projects the Army wrapped up this past year were developing and 
fielding a more mobile battlefield communications system, the Joint 
Network Node; and completing the acquisition and speeding the 
development of a future battlefield communications system, the 
War-fighter Information Network-Tactical.