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VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - The North Carolina National Guard and their Moldovan state partners have joined forces for a third consecutive year to showcase and expand their cyber expertise during the annual Cyber Shield training event.
Among the 42 U.S. states and territories in attendance, N.C. had one of the largest U.S. footprints. Representing the Tar Heel state was an astounding 52 cyber personnel.
N.C. National Guardsman Spc. Brennan Rufa, assigned to Joint Force Headquarters, was among the many North Carolinians who went above and beyond to set the standard of cyber excellence.
Rufa placed first in the SANS ICS515 Capture the Flag Exercise. This exercise is specially designed to challenge and test an individual's proficiency in combating cyber threats.
The Capture the Flag Exercise was one of many ideas the N.C.N.G. took back to their home state and re-modeled to teach future generations. This exercise is now used to teach and develop cyber skills at the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
Cyber Shield is a networking hub of knowledge that military and civilian personnel have used to expand the nation's cyber proficiencies.
“This is a significant example of how the National Guard can be used to make a difference,” said N.C. National Guardsman Lt. Col. Seth Barun, the director of N.C.N.G. cyber operations.
Cyber Shield has been utilized to enhance the N.C. Cyber Security Response Force (CSRF), a National Guard-led program built to identify and defend against cyber attacks.
“The Cyber Security Response Force has helped secure the critical infrastructures in N.C.,” Barun said.
The focus of this year’s exercise was agricultural infrastructures. Due to agriculture being one of the top economic drivers of the Old North State, this was a critical application for N.C. cyber professionals who help develop and maintain the N.C. CSRF.
The N.C. CSRF is designed to protect agricultural systems from cyber threats to ensure crops always make it from the fields to the dinner table.
Cybersecurity is a global phenomenon that transcends borders and thus requires collaboration on an international scale. Therefore, the N.G. has made it a priority to integrate the State Partnership Program into CyberShield. As a result, 15 countries traveled overseas to join their state partners in this year's exercise.
“Being able to foster international partnerships, share ideas, and collaborate with our trusted partners increases our ability to defend our networks and help prevent further attacks,” Barun said.
Moldova 1st Lt. Vasile Petriciuc, a Cyber Security Engineer for the Moldova Communication and Cyber Security Battalion, was one of the few who have participated in Cyber Shield for three consecutive years. Petricuiuc expressed the importance of Moldova returning to America each year to work alongside North Carolina.
“This partnership is very important to us,” Petriciuc said. “In these kinds of exercises, we become stronger together and become one big team.”
Cyber Shield is the world's leading Department of Defense cyber exercise that has continued to transform the cyber world and allow global entities to work side by side.
Here at Cyber Shield, limits were tested, ideas shared, bonds strengthened, and cyber defense networks became more reliable than ever.
| Date Taken: | 06.17.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 06.23.2025 14:59 |
| Story ID: | 500906 |
| Location: | VIRGINIA BEACH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NCNG, Moldova Cyber Excellence - Cyber Shield 2025, by SSG Hannah Tarkelly, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
