OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- Annually, October is observed throughout the nation as Cyber Security Awareness Month and is designed to raise awareness about the importance of cyber security.
At Offutt Air Force Base, it’s more than just security; it’s readiness.
Offutt AFB experienced a record-breaking flood in March that caused water to consume various buildings, which initiated systems, records, and personnel to be moved to other locations on base.
“When the flood happened, we had an influx of service requests,” said Staff Sgt. Jake Martinez, 55th Communications Squadron data center management NCOIC. “We were responsible for making sure equipment and systems were set up and running smoothly.”
The day-to-day mission for the 55th CS data center is ever changing. From equipment installation to customer service requests, the data center constantly thrives to maintain readiness.
“When the flood happened, it kind of felt like a bowling ball came in and hit everything,” said Master Sgt. Bradley Dillon, 55th CS network control center section chief. “So, we had to find all the displaced pieces, and make sure the services, and people responsible for those services, were operating properly. To add to the flood recovery, we had inspections kicking off. Our cyber posture was falling well below the standard, but our data center team came in and brought us well above passing scores.”
When the flood inundated Offutt, the data center management team came up with a game plan to accomplish mission readiness: prioritize, coordinate, maintain.
“Our first step was sitting down as a team and prioritizing the systems we had to set up or fix, from entirely vulnerable systems to small network fixes” said Martinez. “The next step was really dependent on each client, so we coordinated with our 53 associate units to satisfy their system checklists, whether it be classified or unclassified.”
An incident that caused havoc throughout the communications squadron, quickly morphed into a well-oiled machine.
“Soon enough it turned into everyday practice, sort of like a new routine,” said Martinez. “There were a lot of moving parts, but we sat down and figured out what we were going to focus on and tackled it.”
The final step of the data center’s game plan is nonexistent.
“There is no final step,” said Dillon. “There are constant security updates, policy changes, and system setbacks; it’s a continuous process.