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JBSA News
NEWS | Jan. 5, 2009

Information Protection Office created at Randolph, other bases

By Thomas Warner 12th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs

Recent changes to the Air Force Information Protection Program forged the creation of a new office at Randolph. 

The Randolph Information Protection Office opened Dec. 1 and brought the base's information protection initiative out from under its longtime security forces umbrella and realigned it under the 12th Flying Training Wing. 

Master Sgt. Michael Broeker serves as the interim chief of the new office, but a civilian will soon be hired to take responsibility as is the case throughout the Air Force. 

"The purpose of the new office is to educate people on how to properly protect controlled and sensitive unclassified and classified information," Sergeant Broeker said.

"The process will include an appointed chief of information protection and members of a security advisory group consisting of all security disciplines working together to resolve security issues for the commander," he said. 

Information protection, prior to the December switch, was handled by the 12th Security Forces Squadron and had responsibilities in three areas: Information Security, Personnel Security and Industrial Security. 

"Information security involves classified information," said Sergeant Broeker. "Personnel security deal with security clearances and industrial security deals with contractors who perform work on the base."

Information, both classified and unclassified, is the target of a cyber-savvy foe.

"People will ask about a value added by the creation of the new Information Protection Office," said Jeff Helfenstein, Air Education Training Command chief of information protection. "We must protect classified information but our adversaries are now also going after controlled and sensitive unclassified information. It's pretty aggressive."

In a memo sent out to all base personnel, the goal of the new office was set forth in specific terms according to Information protection doctrine. 

"The goal is to prevent the compromise, loss, unauthorized access or disclosure, destruction, distortion or non-accessibility of information, regardless of physical form or characteristics, over the life cycle of information, including actions to regulate access to sensitive information, controlled unclassified information and classified information produced by, entrusted to or under the control of the United States government. 

For information on the information protection office at Randolph, call Sergeant Broeker at 652-6996 or Deborah Hunter at 652-5553. Both parties can be reached on the global e-mail address book, as well.