JSTARS Cybersecurity Team receives coveted CIO award

  • Published
  • By Justin Oakes
  • 66th Air Base Group Public Affairs
HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. --  Air Force Materiel Command recently named the JSTARS Cybersecurity Team as this year's Department of Defense Chief Information Officer Award recipient at the major command level.

This honor goes to individuals and teams who have demonstrated exceptional achievement in the areas of information resource management, information technology and cybersecurity.

"This award is a testament to the hard work and commitment the program office has vested in changing the JSTARS cybersecurity culture," said Thomas Bone, JSTARS Cybersecurity Team leader. "This award involves more than our small team. Many others throughout the enterprise have helped us implement these changes. We strive to get better through continuous process improvement and we're on the right track."

While JSTARS is one of the programs under Hanscom AFB's Battle Management Directorate, the JSTARS program office, along with its cybersecurity team, is located at Robins AFB, Georgia, where it manages all aspects of acquisitions and sustainment support for the 17 aircraft high-demand, low-density fleet.

There, the 12-member team puts in place cyber-protective measures that allow the E-8 JSTARS weapons system to operate effectively and safely in the information domain of modern warfare.

A long list of achievements is what ultimately led to the team's high honor.

"In a very short time, the JSTARS Cybersecurity Program has gone from nearly nonexistent to a platform information technology-oriented cyber program on the most flown weapon system in the Air Force's inventory," said. Lt. Col. Chris Kadala, JSTARS Branch materiel leader. "They were able to reduce the likelihood of a cyber attack to less than one percent, while only expending half of their allocated budget."

DoD CIO Award candidates are judged on management effectiveness, cost savings, processes and mission.

Other achievements of the team include: authoring a complete Architect Analysis Review for JSTARS airframe and command and control PIT authorizing officials in 60 days (a process that usually takes 18-24 months), developing a code and network scanning capability with existing hardware, and pioneering the first E-8C cybersecurity test (which scanned 4.5 million lines of code in 1,500 hours across five systems).

The team will now compete at the Air Force level, and if successful, will compete at the DoD level.

"The JSTARS aircraft is the most requested cyber platform by combatant commanders, so the success of our cybersecurity team is vital to keeping the system operational and secure," Kadala said. "I'm very proud of their accomplishments as they have evolved into an exemplary model for other Air Force weapon system teams to emulate."