“ WHEN WE HAVE A PROBLEM WE SOLICIT SOLUTIONS FROM THE TEAM RATHER THAN DIRECTING THEM IN ANY PARTICULAR WAY !”
Lt Col Woody Groton , CIO , NH National Guard
the electrical power and water industries ,” he says . “ Engineers from these utilities participate in the exercise to see how ready critical infrastructure is to face any attack .” So , training is a clear goal of Cyber Yankee . However , Gorton is keen to stress the benefits of deepening relationships between all interested parties at a regional level , and this has been brought into sharp focus by the current COVID-19 crisis , in response to which the entire exercise has been put on hold until July 2020 . “ The relationships we have built here in NH , for example with the State CIO or the Chief Information Security Officer ( CISO ) are really important . We have mutual trust and real friendship . That applies right across the region . For example , the Massachusetts Water Resource Authority utility has been an important partner over the years , inviting guardsmen in to review its operational technology systems , since a cyber incident at any utility could be crippling for the entire community .”
For now , COVID is keeping people at home but Cyber Yankee needs to go ahead as soon as it is safe to do so , to give new soldiers and airmen coming into the services the cybersecurity training they need and to cement third party relationships for the future , Groton believes . “ But you can be assured we are in a state of heightened awareness and preparedness , at times like this pandemic crisis , to meet any attempts to take advantage of the distraction it provides .”
The National Guard has some amazing talent within its network , he emphasises , with some of the smartest and most experienced penetration testing , cyber intelligence and encryption professionals . Groton is passionate about his team , and for a career soldier he is refreshingly democratic in his approach . “ Rank is
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