LAUGHLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- When the 47th Communications Squadron on Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, shows up at offices and gives employees a short deadline of mere days to back up files before taking their trusted Windows 7 computer to the proverbial electronic graveyard, it may seem intimidating.
However, along with the necessary features to security and support from Microsoft, explains 1st Lt. Tanner Kellogg, 47th CS operations flight deputy commander, the Department of Defense set a deadline to have all Windows 7 computers, across the entire military, replaced. A deadline, which, according to Kellogg, took several months to achieve.
“After replacing more than two thousand computers, we beat the Department of Defense’s deadline,” Kellogg said “That’s because the DoD and Laughlin had to get rid of these vulnerabilities on our old computers quickly. The fastest and most efficient way to ensure more vulnerabilities similar [to those on Windows 7] don’t come back is to go ahead and obtain more secure equipment.”
A big part of the shift to Windows 10 across the DoD comes from a new, embedded security module that not only prevents several of previous Windows vulnerabilities, according to Kellogg, but also reshapes how security is performed in Windows.
“Unlike the previous version, Windows 10 is a new frontier,” Kellogg said. “With Windows 10, it’s much easier to be one step ahead when it comes to security and our [information technology] equipment.”
While most of the features are not readily visible to the user of the software, according to Staff Sgt. Tyler Kayton, 47th CS system network administrator, much of what their customers were originally using their Windows 7 computers for can be completed in the same manner, if not better, using Windows 10.
“Windows 10 is definitely more reliable and secure,” Kayton said. “I think once our customers get to know and use Windows 10, they will grow to like it better.”
According to both Kellogg and Kayton, a big push in the deployment of Windows 10 went to show that the transition for customers to the newer computers would be as seamless as possible. Much of their effort incorporated face-to-face contact to help show that everything that could be done on Windows 7 can be done on Windows 10.
“It was a giant project that everyone assisted with,” Kayton said. “All of our shops were working together to help get computers imaged and shipped out the door to the customers with their old profiles and files from their computers.”
The numerous twelve-hour days and missed holidays that the squadron took to receive, format, and implement the new computers, according to Maj. Emmanuel Matos, 47th CS commander, pays dividends to the time saved on maintenance and ensures sustainability of Laughlin’s flying mission.
“The Windows 10 migration helps us by standardizing the baseline, so our cyber professionals can quickly assess network health and implement security measures more appropriately,” Matos said. “It reshaped the cyber terrain across Laughlin Air Force Base [and] the Department of Defense.”
The communications squadron is continuing to work with customers on ways to help make their transition to Windows 10 as smooth as possible and are encouraged to call the communications focal point at (830) 298-4199 or their squadron’s functional systems administrator with any questions or comments they may have about the transition.