An official website of the United States government
Here's how you know
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.

33rd Network Warfare Squadron Team Wins 2006 Frank B. Rowlett Award

  • Published
  • By 1st Lt. Melissa Osti
  • 33d Network Warfare Squadron
On Nov. 7,  the Frank B. Rowlett Award for Outstanding Information Assurance Organization was presented to the 33rd Network Warfare Squadron by Lieutenant General Keith Alexander, National Security Agency director and Central Security Service chief.  

The annual award, named in honor of cryptologic pioneer Frank B. Rowlett, is given to the U.S. government organization recognized as making the most significant contribution to the improvement of information systems security, information assurance readiness, or the defensive information operations posture of the United States.

Receiving the award for 2006 was the 33rd NWS's Intrusion Prevention and Response Team. The Intrusion Prevention and Response Team is an elite group of 30 military, civilian and contract personnel who serve as the Air Force Network Operations Center's execution arm for computer network defense forensics, vulnerability assessment and incident response support. As part of Air Force's lone organization dedicated solely to NetD, the team helped operate a $100 million weapon system designed to defend Air Force and USCENTCOM networks and assets valued at $1.1 billion. Combined, these networks are used by 750,000 personnel worldwide. 

"Winning the Rowlett Award gives validation to the people executing this mission for their hard work day in and day out," said Maj. Carl Grant, 33rd Network Warfare Squadron commander. "Although a pat on the back from local supervisors is much appreciated, it's so much sweeter to get recognized at such a high level. The Intrusion Prevention and Response Team, and all members of the 33rd who directly and indirectly helped the team to do its mission, truly deserve this honor." 

Excellence is the everyday standard for the Air Force Intrusion Prevention & Response Team, the major added.

Defending Air Force and USCENTCOM networks 24/7/365 is a primary duty of the team's unique mission. Among their notable achievements in 2006 was their work defending against three virus attacks in the USCENTCOM area of responsibility  that provided a direct and lasting effect on the nation's Global War on Terrorism. The team also customized first of its kind anti-virus software signatures for the USCENTCOM AOR, preventing $2 million in losses and limiting the outbreak's effect on Department of Defense  networks and the Internet.

Through partnerships with industry and government organizations, the Intrusion Prevention and Response Team developed cutting edge tactics which helped the Air Force defend over 1,000 of its wireless networks against attacks. The team partnered with NSA to develop counter-intelligence operations which resulted in the identification of a new set of net intrusions against specified U.S. strategic interests. The team also uncovered and stopped a Pentagon hacker from accessing sensitive Department of Defense files, developed intrusion response courses of action and leveraged data-sharing relationships with the U.S. Army and Navy to solidify joint cyber-collaboration.

To compliment its distinctive mission, the team joined a key partnership with the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Cyber Defense division, refining principles throughout the NetD community and expanding the influence of the Air Force's use of sound strategies to defend and respond to computer network events. Bringing hackers to justice, the team worked closely with the AF Office of Special Investigations, the FBI, and other law enforcement agencies to gather digital evidence needed to put those who attack U.S. networks behind bars. 

The team played a pivotal role in ensuring uninterrupted network access and security to 750,000 users and eight million network devices across 10 major commands. This year, the team's efforts saved the Air Force 18,000 man-hours in work, $3 million in losses, and $120 thousand in NetD expenditures while providing 100% NetD uptime and top-of-the line security to our Air Force, DoD and nation.