Photo By Kurt Rauschenberg | Md. Guard cyber warfare operators from the 175th Wing's Cyber Operations Group support...... read more read more
TARTU, Estonia — Md. Guard cyber defenders from the 175th Wing’s Cyber Operations Group at Warfield Air National Guard Base, Middle River, Md. supported the Estonian Defense League’s cyber defense unit 2-12 May during Exercise HEDGEHOG, also known as Siil 2018.
The Md. and Estonian cyber warfare operators used the exercise as an opportunity to leverage their joint knowledge and skills from both civilian and military backgrounds. They incorporated cyber scenarios within the training areas that could cause potential threats to the overall exercise if it were a real situation.
One of the EDL’s goals were to build cyber awareness into the exercise with physical objects meant to potentially test policy and procedures of Estonian participants.
“We used a technique known as Cyber Exploitation to test their own internal cyber awareness,” said a Md. Guard cyber warfare operator. “Normally we play a defensive role, but the EDL wants to see people blowing the whistle in these scenarios, which is very creative.”
Scenarios involving rogue wireless access points, phishing attacks with links to a website, and leaving quick response codes with Siil 18 branding to capture basic information from those connecting were used as means for testing the internal cyber awareness levels of the Estonian Defense personnel.
Also used were means of distributing removable media loaded with malware, ransomware attacks, and planting cell phones within units to track locations.
“Essentially, they are breaking into your house, but not stealing anything,” the Md. Guard cyber warfare operator said. “They are leaving a nice little note behind, however, letting them know we were here.”
Obtaining such information through these scenarios could allow an adversary to gain intelligence of the on-going military activities and potentially compromise planned missions.
Normally, the exercise would focus primarily on air and land operations with little to no cyber-related situations. However, incorporating the cyberspace domain allows Estonia and the Md. Guard to widen the scope of participation through the State Partnership Program.
“This is not the first time the 175th COG has trained with the Estonian Defense Forces,” the Md. Guard cyber warfare operator said. “Our relationship goes back at least 9-years, if not longer.”
An EDL cyber member reflected on the big picture and tied it to the Md. Guard SPP.
“This training is so valuable to exercise our shared goals and values,” said the EDL cyber member. “The everyday tactical and technical efforts put substance to all the cooperation that goes into our established relationship.”
HEDGEHOG 2018 is the largest exercise ever conducted in Estonia with a nation-wide training area and major activities conducted in South-East Estonia and Northern Latvia. The purpose of the exercise is to train on territorial defense, both in conventional and asymmetrical warfare.
Internally, the exercise brings together members of the Estonian Defense League, Women’s Home Defense League, and regular Defense Force.
Additionally, Estonian police and border forces and emergency management personnel also participated. With cooperation from 15 NATO allied forces, over 15,000 personnel participated in Exercise HEDGEHOG 2018. The Mich. And Okla. National Guard also participated in the exercise.
| Date Taken: | 05.11.2018 |
| Date Posted: | 05.11.2018 14:29 |
| Story ID: | 276744 |
| Location: | 78, EE |
| Web Views: | 282 |
| Downloads: | 2 |
This work, Maryland National Guard exercises Cyber Awareness with Estonian Defenses, by Kurt Rauschenberg, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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