Information Technology Officer

[FyreDragn]

Hello all, I'm our local squadron ITO or Information Technology Officer and I wanted to see what everyone's opinions and thoughts are in regards to lack of support for the ITO Specialty Track.

I've been our local ITO for the past year and a half and occasionally scour the net for information, CAP news regarding Information Technology, blogs for IT, Security, OpSec and more as it pertains to CAP, etc and cannot locate anyone within CAP that has anything, even from Wing or National sites.  For all other Specialty Tracks, you can find all sorts of information resources everywhere and can even find weekly blogs for them to be able to stay current with the Specialty Track.

[Eclipse]

ITO is one of those tracks that someone thought was a "Good Idea" and really doesn't have much use day to day in CAP's world.
Couple that with a lack of a meaningful strategic plan for IT, and Woz is your Uncle.

This comes from someone who would qualify for Master ITO since day one and really doesn't see the point of doing the paperwork.

Few squadrons have permanent infrastructure to support.  Many, propbably far too many, have transitioned to using TwitSpace as their only
external web presence, or have functionally none (guilty as charged), since unit websites don't really serve as much purpose as people think.

Any unit with a clue is using Google Apps and templated GSites - certainly an ITOs realm, but not exactly hackerville.

Beyond the rhetoric of the small lane of CyberPatriot, IT isn't part of the mission, nor is user or member support (though Deity of Choice knows I've done plenty of it).

Most online discussions devolve into Apple vs. Good Choices discussions, and NHQ isn't interested in experienced volunteers helping when they
can write contractor checks.

So like a lot of other things that would have some potential value in a fully-staffed, mission-centric CAP, there's just no time or need in
the 2/3rds empty, station-keeping world of CAP reality.

I guess the question is, what are you expecting / needing to see?

[Eclipse]

To address the two specifics you raised:

IT security isn't going to be different in CAP then the rest of the world, since nothing we do is "special".
There are more then enough resources on this topic regarding the tech and policies, there's no need for
CAP to try and replicate those.

As to OPSEC, that's a mentality not an IT realm.

[FyreDragn]

I guess the question is, what are you expecting / needing to see?

Mainly resources, how it pertains to CAP, etc.

In this day and age, IT is a part of everyone's lives whether it be personal computers, web site usage such as in eServices and WIMRS, CyberSecurity threats, OpSec, and so much more.  I'm also in the IT field and have been, for almost 30 years.  It just baffles me how little information there is out there for those that might be interested.

IT is going to continue to be in our lives and our organization for many years to come.

I too took on the role of web-guru/social media expert for our squadron and assumed management of the already existing Google Sites hosted website.

Resources such as Powerpoints for the OpSec briefings as it pertains to CAP, materials as it pertains to WIMRS and other pilot related equipment and suggested tools (Foreflight), aerial photography aides as it pertains to IT and means of communication to transmit GPS embedded photographs, or even required documentation for maintaining squadron computer assets.

For those of us that have been in IT related fields can certainly come up with these references, but I'm trying to see if this has already been done before trying to re-invent the wheel.

[FyreDragn]

To address the two specifics you raised:

IT security isn't going to be different in CAP then the rest of the world, since nothing we do is "special".
There are more then enough resources on this topic regarding the tech and policies, there's no need for
CAP to try and replicate those.

As to OPSEC, that's a mentality not an IT realm.

It is a mentality, but not everyone knows what it means or even uses it.

My point is this..  There are no resources, news, blogs, etc posted out there pertaining to ITO and CAP from what I've been able to find out.  If this Specialty Track is to remain, it definitely needs to have resources available to the squadron ITO's just as other Specialty Tracks offer.

[Eclipse]

Resources such as Powerpoints for the OpSec briefings as it pertains to CAP, materials as it pertains to WIMRS and other pilot related equipment and suggested tools (Foreflight), aerial photography aides as it pertains to IT and means of communication to transmit GPS embedded photographs, or even required documentation for maintaining squadron computer assets.

Some of this does exist in one form or another in regards to Operations subjects like AP, but they are in the OPS sandbox and not likely to come out any time soon.

Foreflight isn't an officially endorsed tool of CAP, and not likely to be, nor other EFBs, and there's plenty of external support available for it.  CAP isn't going to be better at that, nor would i look to IT, as a directorate, vs OPS for that support, since the IT people, as a whole, aren't likely to be users.

The only documentation needed for squadron assets is ORMS.

I agree tech is an increasing part of members' lives, and the level of "flashing 12:00" understanding that many members have with their toys is shockingly low, however CAP simply isn't scoped or scaled to become an IT support resources for them.  It's BYOC, and i fyour "C" is broke,
CAP probably can't help, officially.

I'd love to provide my members with briefings and instructions on securing their lives, proper use of GApps and similar resources, just getting them
to read emails is a huge PITA these days, but there simply isn't time during the normal meeting evolution, and few have the extra kitchen passes or interest in attending additional meetings for non-core stuff.

[Eclipse]

If you want to know where NHQ is user-level-wise, one only needs to look at Windows 10.

Mainstream support for Windows 7 is over, and the free Win 10 upgrades end in a month as of today, yet NHQ
is still telling the membership not to upgrade, and for some inexplicable reason, a large number (majority?) of the
notebooks deployed in the last couple of years are running Windows 7 Enterprise which does not have a free upgrade path.

There has been no word to the field as to the fix for that, assuming there is one.

End of the world?  No.  There are still a lot of XP boxes being used every day, and the older HP units run Ubuntu quite nicely
(those make "hard to break" machines for cadet testing and other squadron use), but it's also a non-trivial issue which
effects end users with no announced resolution.

[JeffDG]

My suggestion:

Focus on the "Information", not the "Technology".

Commanders at all echelons have information needs.  Work with your commander and see what those needs are, then find sources for that information.  CAPWATCH is an excellent starting point for most stuff.

[JeffDG]

If you want to know where NHQ is user-level-wise, one only needs to look at Windows 10.

Mainstream support for Windows 7 is over, and the free Win 10 upgrades end in a month as of today, yet NHQ
is still telling the membership not to upgrade, and for some inexplicable reason, a large number (majority?) of the
notebooks deployed in the last couple of years are running Windows 7 Enterprise which does not have a free upgrade path.

There has been no word to the field as to the fix for that, assuming there is one.

End of the world?  No.  There are still a lot of XP boxes being used every day, and the older HP units run Ubuntu quite nicely
(those make "hard to break" machines for cadet testing and other squadron use), but it's also a non-trivial issue which
effects end users with no announced resolution.

Want an even better example?

The Windows 7 that NHQ puts on laptops is 32-bit.  So, they stuff 4 GB of RAM into the laptop, but thanks to the limitations of Windows 32-bit, only 3GB is useable.  The entire world has been 64-bit OS for at least 2010, but I'll bet that the latest shipments have Win7-32 on them.

[JeffDG]

End of the world?  No.  There are still a lot of XP boxes being used every day, and the older HP units run Ubuntu quite nicely
(those make "hard to break" machines for cadet testing and other squadron use), but it's also a non-trivial issue which
effects end users with no announced resolution.

I'd really like to see a build of ChromeOS built for those.  Just web browser for testing and such.

[Eclipse]

Agreed on your other two points above.

I'd really like to see a build of ChromeOS built for those.  Just web browser for testing and such.

Agreed - very hard to break or infect and can be wiped with a click.

Neverware fits that bill nicely - As a Chromebook guy full time on the road, I also have this on an older desktop in my garage as
well as an all but obsolete Dell notebook.  I know of a few other CAP people using older boxes with Neverware for use at things like
encampments, SARExs, etc., where you need a bunch of input terminals.

It keeps these devices out of the recycle or DRMO stream.

[Holding Pattern]

Hello all, I'm our local squadron ITO or Information Technology Officer and I wanted to see what everyone's opinions and thoughts are in regards to lack of support for the ITO Specialty Track.

I've been our local ITO for the past year and a half and occasionally scour the net for information, CAP news regarding Information Technology, blogs for IT, Security, OpSec and more as it pertains to CAP, etc and cannot locate anyone within CAP that has anything, even from Wing or National sites.  For all other Specialty Tracks, you can find all sorts of information resources everywhere and can even find weekly blogs for them to be able to stay current with the Specialty Track.

At first I was annoyed when I became an ITO and realized there was zero resources/support.

Then I realized that this meant I could do whatever I wanted that could remotely fit under the IT umbrella that I could convince my superiors to sign off on.

At that point I stopped being annoyed and started having lots of fun.

I decided that the purpose of the IT officer was to augment the abilities of everyone else. Which is pretty much the job of IT anywhere. I set about to augment jobs.

Things I've done as an IT officer:

1. Presented to the finance committee the need to upgrade our laptops to their maximum RAM capacity
2. Cyberpatriot Mentor 1 year, Coach 2 years (going on 3)
3. Cascadia Rising Exercise researcher (locating all the online resources that no one in CAP seemed able to collate and deliver to our squadron)
4. Activity researcher (setting up google alerts to monitor the local area for activities we can participate in)
5. Spreadsheet Maestro (because those CAPWATCH files won't organize themselves into anything useful)
6. Strategic Tech Bargain Hunter (when local trade shows have people handing out 8GB flash drives like candy, ask for a bag full to issue to cadets participating in Cyberpatriot)

Things I need to work on as an IT officer:

1. website upgrade
2. Set up Techsoup account (Completion date: when the commander gets back from OCONUS)
3. website upgrade
4. Acquire a computer for flight simulator purposes (Completion date: 25th of this month)
5. website upgrade
6. Establish working relationship with local hackerspace so they can help the squadron build one of these: http://www.openspaceagency.com/ultrascope/
7. Contact local squadrons with laptops that aren't fully ram upgraded and offer to install ram from old laptops into them

I am working on that website upgrade. Seriously. It just manages to be the thing that gets kicked down the road first whenever anything else shiny shows up.

As an aside, if the only thing you are doing as an ITO is coaching a Cyberpatriot team, you are doing a very good job.

[FyreDragn]

My suggestion:

Focus on the "Information", not the "Technology".

Commanders at all echelons have information needs.  Work with your commander and see what those needs are, then find sources for that information.  CAPWATCH is an excellent starting point for most stuff.

That part of it is what I have been doing mainly.  CAPWATCH is being used as well.  It would just be nice to see more Resources for our Specialty Track, even if it's a regular blog from National or even at the Wing level.

[FyreDragn]

Hello all, I'm our local squadron ITO or Information Technology Officer and I wanted to see what everyone's opinions and thoughts are in regards to lack of support for the ITO Specialty Track.

I've been our local ITO for the past year and a half and occasionally scour the net for information, CAP news regarding Information Technology, blogs for IT, Security, OpSec and more as it pertains to CAP, etc and cannot locate anyone within CAP that has anything, even from Wing or National sites.  For all other Specialty Tracks, you can find all sorts of information resources everywhere and can even find weekly blogs for them to be able to stay current with the Specialty Track.

At first I was annoyed when I became an ITO and realized there was zero resources/support.

Then I realized that this meant I could do whatever I wanted that could remotely fit under the IT umbrella that I could convince my superiors to sign off on.

At that point I stopped being annoyed and started having lots of fun.

I decided that the purpose of the IT officer was to augment the abilities of everyone else. Which is pretty much the job of IT anywhere. I set about to augment jobs.

Things I've done as an IT officer:

1. Presented to the finance committee the need to upgrade our laptops to their maximum RAM capacity
2. Cyberpatriot Mentor 1 year, Coach 2 years (going on 3)
3. Cascadia Rising Exercise researcher (locating all the online resources that no one in CAP seemed able to collate and deliver to our squadron)
4. Activity researcher (setting up google alerts to monitor the local area for activities we can participate in)
5. Spreadsheet Maestro (because those CAPWATCH files won't organize themselves into anything useful)
6. Strategic Tech Bargain Hunter (when local trade shows have people handing out 8GB flash drives like candy, ask for a bag full to issue to cadets participating in Cyberpatriot)

Things I need to work on as an IT officer:

1. website upgrade
2. Set up Techsoup account (Completion date: when the commander gets back from OCONUS)
3. website upgrade
4. Acquire a computer for flight simulator purposes (Completion date: 25th of this month)
5. website upgrade
6. Establish working relationship with local hackerspace so they can help the squadron build one of these: http://www.openspaceagency.com/ultrascope/
7. Contact local squadrons with laptops that aren't fully ram upgraded and offer to install ram from old laptops into them

I am working on that website upgrade. Seriously. It just manages to be the thing that gets kicked down the road first whenever anything else shiny shows up.

As an aside, if the only thing you are doing as an ITO is coaching a Cyberpatriot team, you are doing a very good job.

Very interesting and informative..  I appreciate your response as this is more of what I was hoping to see for what others are doing since there isn't anything out there for us currently.

I have done a few of these in our Senior flight squadron, as we don't have cadets to work with, only seniors.

1. Took over the squadron 1 page website and updated it to make it more user friendly
2. Created a web-based alerting system that will send out text message alerts to cell phones where their replies go to a mailbox system instead a "reply to all"
3. Utilized the SIMS database to use CAPWATCH text files for managing our Squadron resources and assets
4. Created a Squadron Asset Management system database
5. Try to keep our senior members aware of current issues with IT Security and how they can protect themselves
6. Created and maintain the squadrons social media services to assist with getting what we do as CAP out to the local surrounding cities

I personally am doing pretty good in the 2 years that I've been ITO for the squadron, it would just be really nice to have a resource site/group/etc to share ideas such as you mentioned above.

[Holding Pattern]

Warning: Link dump of some useful resources.

CAPP227
Introduction to CyberSecurity (wait, we have a CAP presentation on cybersecurity?!)
STIGs, SCAP and Data Metrics DISA PRESENTATION
The United States Government Configuration Baseline (USGCB)
Security Engineering by Roass Anderson - 2nd Edition
SIMS
Cadet Commander Tools
HELIX Forensics tools
Understanding etc/shadow
Powershell Punctuation Guide
GRASSMARLIN


WMIRS 2.0 Training Videos
ICUT Training Videos

2016 Trends in Cybersecurity
Verizon 2016 Data Breach Investigations Report

FREE Cybersecurity Training for Veterans (id.me TroopID registration required)

[etodd]

If you want to know where NHQ is user-level-wise, one only needs to look at Windows 10.

Mainstream support for Windows 7 is over, and the free Win 10 upgrades end in a month as of today, yet NHQ
is still telling the membership not to upgrade, and for some inexplicable reason, a large number (majority?) of the
notebooks deployed in the last couple of years are running Windows 7 Enterprise which does not have a free upgrade path.

There has been no word to the field as to the fix for that, assuming there is one.

Maybe the FEMA photo file uploader software isn't working with Windows 10 yet(?)


.

[etodd]

I am working on that website upgrade. Seriously. It just manages to be the thing that gets kicked down the road first whenever anything else shiny shows up.

Throw up a simple WordPress site with some security plugins and then turn it over to the Public Informations Officer to keep it updated.

Many of these things should be in the hands of the PIO and other marketing people who can make quick updates and not have to funnel it through an IT person once the system is setup.

Same with Social Media. Its not anything IT should have to worry with. Its the marketing and PR people's area.

[Eclipse]

Maybe the FEMA photo file uploader software isn't working with Windows 10 yet(?)

It's an Air app, non issue.

Considering the Win10 kernal is still largely bases on Vista, I haven't found a single thing yet
that doesn't work with 10, 32 or 64, including high-end apps like Autocad and Photoshop which purport to
not support 10 and actually do (the real answer is they are trying to force people into the cloud services).

The only place I've seen challenges is some printers, and >all< of the issued printers I've seen from NHQ
have worked fine with Windows update drivers.

If there are actual NHQ known issues, they should be published, and those units which are unaffected told what the
update plan is (or isn't).

[FyreDragn]

We could just use this thread as a collaboration for ITO's since nothing currently exists right now.  Any objections?

[JeffDG]

Should I put a plug in for my National Conference Learning Lab?