Overview

The United States Air Force has placed increasing emphasis on cyber in recent years, but most of this has been on defending network operations and information technology infrastructure. However, the aircraft used to deliver weapons in combat operations would also be a logical target of cyber operations by our adversaries. If aircraft can be targeted or are vulnerable to cyber threats, then operators should be aware of these threats. This paper explores to what extent cyber threat education can help bridge the gap between aircraft operators and cyber experts in order to mitigate risks to Air Force missions. The resulting research demonstrates there are benefits to educating warfighters, specifically fighter aircrew, on cyber to mitigate the potential risks cyber threats pose. Several recommendations on how to accomplish cyber threat education for the warfighter are presented.This compilation includes a reproduction of the 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community.The United States Air Force has placed increasing emphasis on cyber during the past decade. In 2005, the Air Force codified the importance of cyberspace by including it in the service's mission statement - Fly, Fight and Win...in Air, Space and Cyberspace. Additionally, the Department of Defense (DoD) stood up USCYBERCOM in 2010, a new sub-unified command focused on cyber. These are significant steps towards grappling with cyber challenges in the military, but most of the initial focus has been on defending network operations and information technology (IT) infrastructure with limited progress on how cyber threats can affect weapons systems such as aircraft. Given the DoD's reliance on computer networks, this network-centric approach to cyber threats is understandable. However, aircraft that deliver weapons in combat operations are also logical targets of cyber operations by our adversaries. Examining cyber threats to aircraft is an example of what Maj Gen Vautrinot, former 24 AF/CC, was referring to when she wrote that the emphasis is on supporting operational missions dependent on cyberspace and the focus is on the mission, not the network. Joint Publication 1-02 defines cyberspace as a global domain...consisting of the interdependent network of IT infrastructures and resident data, including the Internet, telecommunications networks, computer systems, and embedded processors and controllers. Modern fighter aircraft have many embedded processors and controllers that are susceptible to cyber threats. If aircraft are vulnerable to cyber threats, then operators should be aware of these potential threats. This paper seeks to explore to what extent cyber threat education for the warfighter can help bridge the gap between aircraft operators and cyber experts in order to mitigate risks to Air Force missions. The resulting research will demonstrate that there are benefits to educating warfighters, specifically fighter aircrew, on the potential risks cyber threats pose so they can be mitigated. Several recommendations on how to accomplish cyber threat education for the warfighter are presented.

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