A Reminder About Cyber Security

  • Published
  • By Lt. Col. Joe Moritz
  • 319th Communications Squadron
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  October is Cyber Security Awareness month and I would like to use this opportunity to remind everyone of a few simple actions each of us should apply to our use of both the NIPRnet and our home Internet connections.

First, make sure you are using the most up-to-date version of anti-virus software.

At work, this is easy. The communications community does it for you. At home, however, the work is on your shoulders.

To help you out, the USAF has purchased firewall and anti-virus software for your use which can be found on the AF Portal using the following link:

AF Portal firewall & anti-virus software

Second, don't click on links in e-mails from sources you do not trust. Of course, to make your e-mails "trusted," it is a known best-practice to digitally sign all of your e-mails. You can enable this option in Outlook by going to the "Trust Center" in the "Tools" menu. Select "E-mail Security" and click the "Add digital signature to outgoing messages" option.

At home, this is a little trickier since most of your friends and family do not have digital certificates to use. So, just use your best judgment. Chances are if it is an e-mail address you do not recognize, it is most likely not to be trusted.

Third, when you are sending sensitive information such as AEF movements, personal identifiable information, or aircraft information, use the encryption option in Outlook.

Also, do not send this kind of information to an organizational box unless that box has a published "soft certificate" in the Global Address Book, which you can use to encrypt the information. If you are the user of an organizational box and want a soft certificate, please contact my Information Assurance team at 747-6158.

Finally, we should all understand that Cyber Security is just Information Security. The information we work with on a daily basis can be used by an adversary against us. Therefore, it is everyone's responsibility to make sure we keep that information safe and out of the hands of those who wish to do us harm.

Safe surfing out there folks. And remember, with respect to the network, a risk accepted by one is an acceptance by all.