U.S. and Philippine Marines tackle the cyber domain

Photo By Sgt. Nicholas Filca | U.S. Marine Warrant Officer Zachary DeLong, a defensive cyber weapons officer with 7th Communication Bn., III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, demonstrates Defensive Cyberspace Operations-Internal Defensive Measures capabilities during a virtual training session with members of the Philippine Marine Corps on Camp Hansen, Okinawa, Japan, April 19, 2021. The training was conducted to contribute to continuous allyship expansion in the Indo-Pacific region, while simultaneously strengthening cyberspace capabilities in the III MEF area of operations. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Cpl. Nicholas Filca)  

CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JAPAN

04.19.2021

Story by Cpl. Nicholas Filca 

III MEF Information Group     

Marines of Defensive Cyberspace Operations-Internal Defensive Measures Company, 7th Communication Battalion, III Marine Expeditionary Force Information Group, along with members of the Philippine Marine Corps, conducted an inaugural virtual subject matter expert exchange to identify cyber vulnerabilities and strengthen network defense, April 19.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, conducting this exchange virtually served as a unique way to maintain and enhance cyber-focused training with Philippine forces, showcasing the importance of cyber security and safeguarding networks.
"Today we conducted a subject matter expert exchange that mostly consisted of cybersecurity, including host discovery and vulnerability programs," said U.S. Marine Corps Warrant Officer Zachary DeLong, a defensive cyberspace weapons officer. Weak network defenses present a unique set of challenges that threaten not only individual systems, but the stability of the region, according to DeLong.
In his opening remarks, Major Jean Paul San Gabriel, a cyber-expert with the Philippine Marine Corps, stated that, “throughout the years, the PMC and MARFORPAC [Marine Forces – Pacific] have made significant impacts in the region by conducting international defense and security engagements. In the advent of the Corps’ modernization, PMC is strengthening the capacity for archipelagic defense as part of the naval and joint forces. Included in this capacity building is cybersecurity operations which is the 4th Operational Domain of Warfare of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines). Unlike the air, sea, and land, cyberspace is a human-built domain and does not lie in the natural world. To put it simply, its complexity differs a lot from the other three. So, it is high time that the Corps develop a way to adapt to this environment to be prepared for the future.”
The U.S. and Philippine Marines centered their focus on how a strong cyber posture against a variety of threats is necessary in an unpredictable network defense environment. Using open-source programs such as Wireshark and Nessus, they can analyze web traffic and evaluate network vulnerabilities.
While addressing threats to network and system security provides a distinct level of urgency, this exchange served as more than just an analysis of network defenses.
"A lot of the exchange was sharing knowledge and experience with a partnered nation and giving some feedback, while continuing to build relationships in the Indo-Pacific," said U.S. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Brown, a defensive cyberspace operator.
"It's going to feed into how we respond in the future. If we see something unique that we can share with somebody else, and they see something unique to them, we can [incorporate] that into what we're looking for," Brown said.
DeLong explained that the virtual exchange proved that III MEF's continuous commitment to strengthening partnerships in the Indo-Pacific does not have to be limited to physical interactions, saying the training, "allows us to work better in a coalition force."
This virtual U.S.-Philippine training successfully improved both units’ abilities to collaborate on network vulnerabilities and cyber security efforts, but Brown believes we should continue expanding those cyber capabilities. "We're hoping to expand on what we did today and reaching out to forces that utilize the same methodologies we do. If we keep hearing from everybody, it only makes us better, and I can't wait to do it again."

• Date Taken: 04.19.2021
• Date Posted: 05.10.2021 20:07
• Story ID: 394412
• Location: CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, JP