Vol. 5 No. 2
Vol.5, No. 2
August 2012
The Center for Cyberspace Research (CCR), established in March 2002, conducts
defense-focused research at the Master’s and PhD levels. The CCR is forward-looking and
responsive to the changing educational and research needs of the Air Force, the Department
of Defense, and the federal government. The CCR faculty teaches and performs research
to understand and develop advanced cyber-related theories and technologies. These theory
and technology advancements include efforts in network intrusion detection and avoidance,
insider threat mitigation, cyberspace situational awareness, network visualization, software
protection, and anti-tamper technologies development. On June 19, 2008 AFIT was
designated by the SECAF and CSAF as the Air Force Cyberspace Technical Center of
Excellence.
CENTER FOR CYBERSPACE RESEARCH
Director: Dr. Richard Raines
Associate Director: Dr. Harold Arata
Research Director: Dr. Rusty Baldwin
Marketing Specialist: Carrie Solberg
Questions, concerns, feedback: email carrie.solberg.ctr@at.edu
Visit our web site: www.at.edu/ccr
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CCR News is published by the Center for Cyberspace Research,
Air Force Technical Center of Excellence
All material contained herein reects the opinions of the authors and
editors and does not necessarily reect U.S. Air Force or AFIT policy.
The Advanced Cyber Education (ACE)
program was hosted for the second year
at the Air Force Institute of Technology’s
Center for Cyberspace Research (CCR)
June 18-Aug 10, 2012. AFIT’s Director
and Chancellor, Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Dr. Todd
Stewart welcomed the ACE students. ACE
is the only ROTC cyber education and
professional development training course
within the DOD. Participants this year
include thirty-eight cadets and midshipmen
from Air Force, Army and Navy ROTC
detachments from 30 different schools and
22 states. These future military ofcers,
competitively selected from over 144
detachments nation-wide, will be well on
their way to becoming the DoD’s newest
cyber warriors as a result of the intense
8-week summer program.
In response to the growing number of cyber
security exploitations and attacks, CCR
afliated faculty tailored the ACE program
course curriculum to meet the demand for
individuals with the talent and capability
to develop cyber security solutions. Today,
ACE is the nation’s only cyber security
program for ROTC cadets and midshipmen
that combines cyber warfare education,
hands-on training, research internships with
Air Force scientists and engineers along
with leadership development activities.
The program has deep technical foundations
and is organized into several components.
One component of the ACE program
comprises cyber warfare lectures on topics
that include security concepts, cyber
attack, computer network defense, digital
forensics, reverse software engineering
and cryptography. All classes are taught by
faculty from the Department of Electrical
and Computer Engineering and afliated
CCR researchers.
Another component of the ACE program
is research experience gained through
internships with leading cyber professionals
from AFIT, Wright-Patterson organizations
to include the 711th Human Performance
Wing (HPW), Air Force Research
Laboratory’s (AFRL) Virtual Combat
Laboratory, the 88th Communications
Group, and local industry partners.
Aug 2012
ACE Program Boasts Many Learning Opportunities for Cadets and Midshipmen
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In addition to academics and research,
ACE participants engaged in leadership
development activities with their active
duty counter parts. Organized unit physical
training sessions and staff rides to the National
Museum of the United States Air Force, Micro
Air Vehicle Laboratory and wind tunnels at
AFRL, AFIT Research Centers, and 88th
Communications Group provided a full
slate of leadership development activities.
As part of the “hands-on” component of
ACE, students set up and secured web
and le servers. The result of their efforts
culminated in the “Hackfest” on August
8-10, 2012. Three teams competed in a
large-scale cyber warfare event using cyber
defense tactics, techniques, and procedures
they learned during their time at AFIT
in the context of a military operation.
CCR Director of IT, Dr. Tim Lacey,
describes the Hackfest as “a very intense
exercise where students must demonstrate
skills in both offensive and defensive
cyber operations. By the time the Hackfest
nishes, students are mentally drained.
However, the satisfaction obtained by
completing such a rigorous exercise is very
gratifying. Because of the ACE Hackfest,
students acquire a new appreciation for
just how difcult it is to conduct cyber
operations, whether offensive or defensive.”
The cadets and midshipmen graduated on
August 10, 2012 at the Wright-Patterson
Club. Brig. Gen. Gregory J. Touhill, Director,
Command, Control, Communications and
Computer (C4) Systems United States
Transportation Commnad, Scott Air Force
Base, Ill, was the keynote speaker and
presented the cadets with their graduation
certicates.
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DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE
AIR FORCE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
CENTER FOR CYBERSPACE RESEARCH
AFIT/ENG
2950 HOBSON WAY
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB OH 45433-7765
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