An official website of the United States government
A .mil website belongs to an official U.S. Department of Defense organization in the United States.
A lock (lock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .mil website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home : News : Article View
NEWS | Nov. 8, 2021

Nebraska ANG cybersecurity team keeps network safe

By Airman 1st Class Alexander Schriner, 155th Air Refueling Wing, Nebraska Air National Guard

LINCOLN AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. – In 2021 alone, America's energy sector, power plants, food supply, water supply, health care, law enforcement and defense sector have all come under cyberattack.

Cyberattacks threaten our key infrastructure almost daily, and the National Guard plays an important role in defending networks against attacks, as well as mitigating the effects of an attack.

"Cyberattacks are usually done by a hacker or malicious actor with the intent to cause damage, disrupt operations or disabling our systems temporarily," said Capt. Lucas Brown, director of operations for the Communications Flight, 155th Air Refueling Wing. "We keep up to date with the latest tech news so that we are always ready."

There are many ways Communications Flight keeps the 155th Air Refueling Wing network safe, such as weekly vulnerability assessment scans, monitoring of day-to-day use policies, account usage and providing annual training to all members.

Master Sgt. John Garza, wing cybersecurity office manager, oversees the network safety and security daily by assessing the threats. Once a computer system is out of date or the manufacturer finds a break in the software, the cyber team runs patches on those machines for updates.

"We have a system that says you have 50 out of 1,000 machines that need to be patched," Garza said. "We then scan the network, and I tell the focal point guys they need to patch these type of machines.

"It's nice having a process in place that fixes most of the problems, but there's also lots of reading done on the side in order to keep up with current technology," said Garza.

The Air Force provides these policies and procedures to guide the processes and streamline the expectations of assets controlled by the Communications Flight.

"We are required by the Air Force to follow life-cycle management, so we can identify old assets and cycle them through to get the latest and greatest," Garza said. "We're the gatekeepers in making sure everything can run efficiently for everyone."

Brown said he encourages new tactics when training to fight new threats.

"We're always looking at different routes and we don't want people sticking to the same training plans," Brown said. "That way, we can look at different threats and ways to mitigate them. Some of our smartest and brightest Airmen are our younger ones."

 

 

Related Articles
Airmen assigned to the 155th Air Refueling Wing secure a Blue Sky Mast System at the Nebraska National Guard air base in Lincoln, Nebraska, June 6, 2025. The Airmen were participating in a three-day Combat Readiness Exercise which evaluates the wing's ability to rapidly mobilize, deploy and sustain operations in a simulated contingency environment.
Nebraska Guard’s 155th Air Refueling Wing Tests Combat Readiness during Exercise
By Lisa Crawford, | June 10, 2025
LINCOLN, Neb. – The Nebraska Air National Guard’s 155th Air Refueling Wing conducted a Combat Readiness Exercise during its regularly scheduled drill weekend, June 6-8, at the Nebraska National Guard air base here.The Combat...

Staff Sgt. Daniel Katona, an aircraft metals technologist with the 155th Air Refueling Wing, works on a cracked lug area on a wheel hub, Dec. 20, 2024, at the Nebraska National Guard air base in Lincoln, Nebraska. Facing a costly $75,000 equipment failure, the 155th Air Refueling Wing’s metals technology team used skill, innovation and teamwork to restore a critical aircraft tow vehicle, ensuring mission readiness.
Nebraska Air Guard In-House Expertise Fixes Tow Vehicle
By Staff Sgt. Alexander Schriner, | March 18, 2025
LINCOLN, Neb. - When a crucial aircraft tow vehicle at the 155th Air Refueling Wing suffered a major mechanical failure, maintenance crews faced a difficult choice — spend $75,000 on a replacement or develop an in-house...

Airmen with the Nebraska Air National Guard’s Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear Enhanced Response Force Package Detachment-1 and 55th Wing role play as injured patients Nov. 13, 2024, during a joint National Disaster Medical System Exercise at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.
Nebraska Air Guard CERFP Participates in Joint Exercise
By Airman 1st Class Jeremiah Johnson, | Nov. 15, 2024
OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. - The 155th Air Refueling Wing’s Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Enhanced Response Force Package Detachment-1 participated in a full-scale exercise conducted by the National Disaster...