As anyone who has read the news these past few months and years knows, it seems like the United States of America and it’s businesses and security services are under constant attacks from hackers all over the world. Hackers that have been traced to Russia, China, and potentially other countries have struck at banks for social security information, companies with government contracts for blue prints and plans, and governmental services themselves in an attempt to gain access to secure servers. While not all of the attacks have succeeded, enough have that it got many people wondering why there seemed to be no protection against this sort of thing and whether the US government was engaged in any sort of cyber warfare or counter-cyber activities. Now, we have a public answer to our questions; the first cyber protection team for the National Guard just graduated and are ready to begin protecting out electronic interests from hostile agents. While this was probably already happening, this is the first public acknowledgement to that effect.

This cyber defense team is the first of a total of 11 cyber defense teams that the government is planning on building in the future. They will be fully integrated into the current efforts to both secure important data and prevent hostile hacking attempts that are currently underway. Made up of men and women from both the civilian as well as the military sectors, these cyber defense teams will work closely with private and public businesses as well as governmental agencies and security services to enhance current electronic defenses, probe for existing weaknesses in said defenses, and then create solutions to prevent those weaknesses from being exploited. The National Guard already responds to a variety of national and natural disasters such as floods, fires, and earthquakes. Adding the protection of our cyber front simply makes sense and they will bring the same level of quality and dedication to it.

If you’d like to read more, the link is here.

It’s funny to think about science fiction and the modern military going hand-in-hand and being inspired by the other. Science fiction has it’s visions set in a future that is frequently dystopian and full of warfare, chaos, and technologies that aren’t even near to what we have today. That being said, Army researchers frequently find inspiration for technological breakthroughs in the words of science fiction authors. One of the most famous futuristic warriors is Predator, an alien who fights on a code of honor (unarmed means unharmed) and uses advanced technology, such as cloaking and infrared technology, to observe it’s enemies in both day and night. Night has always been one of humanities greatest fears, the dark can hold all sorts of enemies and the ability to see clearly in it is paramount for soldiers who are hunting enemies and trying to avoid civilian casualties.

Soldiers and Predators work in the same way: see a target, make sure it’s a target, eliminate target. This is obviously far more difficult when it’s dark out and frayed nerves are even further on edge, hence the need to comprehensive and accurate night vision and infrared technology. Using the Predator as a source of inspiration. scientists have been working to replicate the infrared technology it uses so effectively in the films to track and hunt prey. The Night Vision Electronics Sensors Directorate (NVESD) is the group in charge of inventing and implementing these new technologies and they have been doing a fantastic job. The current night vision/infrared technology is incredibly impressive, allowing soldiers to detect and locate threats far in advance of actual contact.

If you’d like to read more, the link is here.