MAY 27, 2021 – Cyber space. The fifth domain. Its inner workings can be a murky mess of information to the average citizen. For a few, it is a place full of opportunity to pursue their passions and showcase their technical expertise.
The Navy Cyber Competition Team (NCCT) organized a small, five-person team known as the Blackjackets, that had the opportunity to display their cyber savvy during the inaugural 2021 SANS NetWars International Services Cup competition, ultimately earning them the title of cyber champions against 25 other international teams from across what is known as The Five Eyes (FVEY) alliance. The Blackjackets were presented their trophy in a small ceremony on May 14.
This competition marked the NCCT’s first international competition. When the team was first created three years ago, its purpose was to represent the U.S. Navy in public cyber competitions. Though the team is still young, the creativity, passion and curiosity brought by the members display their dedication to the cyber community. The additional challenge of a global pandemic did not deter the team from developing their skillset and passing on that knowledge.
“What the team did is they pivoted and provided cyber technical training to other Sailors,” said Cdr. Thomas Parker, Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, N9, Innovation and Capabilities, U.S. Fleet Cyber Command/U.S. 10th Fleet (FCC/C10F). “They provided over 3,000 hours of technical training to Sailors in the fleet. It was for Sailors, by Sailors.”
The capture the flag (CTF) style of the competition covered a broad range of cyber operations ranging from internal defensive measures, forensics, penetration testing, and Internet of Things (IOT) exploitation. However, the true benefit of CTF challenges is the active participation rather than the problems themselves according to Lt. j.g. Jonathan King, an exploitation specialist assigned to Navy Cyber Warfare Development Group (NCWDG) and member of the Blackjackets.
“It’s not about the individual knowledge gained from the event,” said King. “It’s about participating in the event in the first place. Practicing solving problems is the value. Not the problem itself.”
Teams had three hour blocks over the course of two days to solve as many challenges as they could with each challenge increasing in difficulty. The Blackjackets used a combination of teamwork, research and technical know-how to solve these problems in a virtual environment. The competition was fiercest towards the end with teams jockeying for 1st place during the last 30 minutes but for Lt. j.g. Luke Foppe, an exploitation specialist assigned to NCWDG and Blackjackets member, the benefit of participating in this type of friendly competition is developing skills that can be transferred to real world scenarios.
“These challenges were really open ended. In order to actually solve it you had to do your own research,” said Foppe. “They really teach you how to learn which then you can very easily transition into real jobs in cyber security; approaching any problem that comes up, breaking it down in similar ways and doing your own research into figuring it out.”
“The best way to get good at solving hard technical puzzles is to solve hard technical puzzles,” said King.
The Blackjackets were named champions but the team’s overall goal is to not only improve the Navy’s cyber prowess but to attract the best and brightest future cyber warriors.
“The NCCT has two real missions,” said Foppe. “One is to increase cyber expertise within the Navy but also this recruiting aspect of it as well. If I’m a young high-schooler interested in cyber and see the Navy puts up this incredible competition, it might increase my interest in joining the Navy.”
Vice Adm. Ross Myers, commander, FCC/C10F, thanked the team for their passion, dedication, and for serving as inspiration to future cyber warfare engineers.
“How do we take individuals with a passion for Cybersecurity, bring them into the military, and enable them to safeguard and defend the Fleet,” said Myers. “We want you on keyboard, developing that expertise. Our nation needs you to do that.”
The NCCT welcomes new members that share the same curiosity and passion for cyber space. For some, that passion starts at a young age. As a kid, King was enamored with the world of cyber and began his cyber journey as a young programmer.
“I’ve programmed since I was a little kid but programming is not cyber, it’s the security stuff on top of it,” said King. “After joining the Navy, I wasn’t in the cyber world at all but I started doing it for fun. I started going places and started getting completely absorbed in the culture. Later on, I made the transition to my Navy job. I’ve been doing this for over a decade for fun on the side.”
“I was already pretty interested in computers,” said Foppe. “I got into the Naval Academy and was going to study computer engineering there as part of my freshman year. My teacher happened to be the officer in charge of the USNA cyber competition team and through that, I got exposed to these and hopped on the team and devoted most of my time to it.”
Both King and Foppe have one thing in common: they love what they do.
“We all do this for fun on the outside,” said King. “Whether or not the cyber competition team exists, we would still be doing CTFs every weekend probably.”
“That’s the motivation,” said Myers. “Find talented individuals who love the job, believe in the Navy’s mission, and enable them to build a career doing what they love.”
The dedication that members of the Blackjackets and the NCCT have for the cyber world helped propel them to victory, scoring the team a grand total of 531 points. The most points scored in a NetWars tournament. More importantly, it’s these dedicated cyber warriors that highlight the cyber talent that the Navy needs in a world that is increasingly dependent on cyber space.
The NCCT is comprised of 15 members from across 10th Fleet and is a dedicated effort to display cyber talent and to highlight the spirit of competition, warfighting prowess, and professionalism that the Information Warfare Community brings to the Navy. It aims to enhance cyber skillsets, serve as a recruitment tool, capture industry best practices, manifest new capabilities, and highlight areas for improvement across our cyber force.
Story by Petty Officer 1st Class Naomi VanDuser
U.S. Fleet Cyber Command / U.S. 10th Fleet