CCRI comes to Dyess

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Charles V. Rivezzo
  • 7th BOmb Wing Public Affairs
DYESS AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  Years ago it used to be a pair of loose lips, or maybe a folder stamped "TOP SECRET" falling into the wrong hands, could lead to the loss of valuable military information. These days, with the Internet and computer networks, there are countless ways information can be leaked.

Team Dyess will be evaluated on how well they can secure information when the Defense Information Systems Agency conducts the 7th Bomb Wing's Command Cyber Readiness Inspection Nov. 14-18.

"This inspection is a detailed review of our base's Information Assurance programs, all aspects of UNCLASS and CLASSIFIED networks, and traditional or physical security assets that support these networks," said Maj. Robert Mammenga, 7th Communications Squadron commander.

The 7th Communications Squadron has been preparing for this inspection since June and has accomplished some very visible projects and milestones to ensure we comply with Department of Defense guidance, said Mammenga.

"The Cyber Transport work center is nearly complete with the port security project, one of the projects most visible to the customer," he said. "This project replaces communications switches on Dyess and enables only authorized government computers to be physically connected to the Air Force network. Also, we have engaged with multiple agencies on base to ensure security requirements are met and that all our programs comply with applicable guidance."

Mammenga emphasized that the CCRI is on par with the Operational Readiness Inspection in terms of potential impact, and should not be taken lightly.

"The CCRI is equivalent to a simultaneous UCI (Unit Compliance Inspection) and ORI for cyberspace," Mammenga said. "It not only evaluates our compliance with DoD guidance, but also assesses our remediation to Information Assurance threats on the operational network," Mammenga said.

The inspection is graded using a five-tier grading scale to include: Unacceptable, Marginal, Acceptable, Excellent and Outstanding.

Due to preparation dating back to last summer, expectations are high for the 7th Communications Squadron and Team Dyess.

"With what we've accomplished since June, I'd be surprised if we didn't score an outstanding," added Mammenga.