GOWEN FIELD, Idaho - Airmen with the Idaho National Guard’s 224th Cyber Operations Squadron’s Intelligence Support shop work behind the scenes every day on Gowen Field in Boise to identify threats, analyze adversary activity and deliver the intelligence cyber operators need to defend critical networks.
The Intelligence Support shop consists of all-source intelligence analysts and cyber intelligence analysts. Both types of analysts play critical roles in defending against global cyber threats. The squadron's cyber mission requires analysts to monitor rapidly evolving threats worldwide, while cyber intelligence analysts provide the technical expertise to identify adversary behavior and detect malicious activity.
Master Sgt. Kyle Young, noncommissioned officer in charge of intelligence for the 224th Cyber Operations Squadron, highlighted Cyber Knife Fight, a total-force cyber exercise that brings cyber units from across the country to Boise, as another responsibility that encompasses intel.
“We also play and help develop White Cell, the intelligence around our semi-annual Offensive Cyber Operations vs. Defensive Cyber Operations exercise called Cyber Knife Fight,” Young said, adding that it is becoming a premier cyber exercise in the Department of War’s cyber community.
As part of the squadron’s mission, the intelligence shop collects and analyzes information on potential cyber threats, turning raw data into actionable intelligence. Analyst assessments help operators understand who they may be up against, what tactics adversaries are using and how to respond effectively in a constantly evolving digital environment.
The mission is to identify and analyze adversary cyber activity before it can impact military networks, equipment or mission partners at the state and federal level, Young said.
Cyber operations personnel conduct defensive cyber operations by monitoring Department of War systems for malicious activity, analyzing cyber threats to Idaho and mission partners and supporting federal cyber missions under U.S. Cyber Command.
In addition to daily operations at the intelligence shop, Airmen must continuously train and adapt as the cyber landscape evolves rapidly.
“Because cyber is rapidly evolving, our knowledge, skills and abilities must evolve as well,” Young said. “We never feel satisfied with the knowledge that we have. There’s never a time in which you feel like you have all the information or even know all the information.”
While the work can be challenging and overwhelming at times, the intel Airmen depend on each other.
“We are only successful because we can rely on our fellow intelligence Airmen to bring forward hypotheses and insights, challenge assumptions and collaborate to build an accurate understanding of the threat environment,” said Staff Sgt. Joseph Bedford, an all-source intelligence analyst for the 224th Cyber Operations Squadron. “Cyber adversaries are real, constantly evolving and not going away anytime soon, which makes it rewarding to be part of a team that is continuously training and working to defend against them.”
Intelligence Airmen of the 224th Cyber Operations Squadron are the first line in cyber defense. They identify threats, analyze adversary activity and provide critical insight cyber operators need to defend the network and base. Always ready, always there.