It has always been the case that underestimating the ingenuity and true grit of the Green Berets, the U.S. Army special forces, can often be a fatal mistake. With the arrival of cyberwarfare as a key part of the modern battleground, that has not changed. If proof is needed, then look no further than Exercise Swift Response 2024, which took place recently in Sweden. Special Forces operatives employed the latest in disruptive cyber-tactics in order to gain superiority and how. Green Beret hackers are certainly not to be messed with, and if they have you in their crosshairs, things will get messy very quickly. The ability to “gain access to any WiFi networks originating at the target, and then monitor activity from that location for a period of time,” an identity-protected Operational Detachment Alpha soldier explained, “it gives us another set of eyes and helps to paint a clearer picture of our objective.”
The Five Special Operations Forces Truths
An article by Sgt. 1st Class Tim Beery on the U.S. Army website refers to the 1991 five special operations forces truths as determined by U.S. Army Col. (ret) John Collins.
These truths are:
- Humans are more important than hardware.
- Quality is better than quantity.
- Special Operations Forces cannot be mass-produced.
- Competent Special Operations Forces cannot be created after emergencies occur.
- Most special operations require non-SOF assistance.
While these truths are far from obsolete, they have evolved. Nowhere is this clearer than in truth number one, where, obviously, humans are the most important thing, but hardware has changed beyond all recognition in the 33 years that have passed since the originals were penned. “Cyberspace has become a key part of the battlefield,” Beery said, “and quickly has become just as critical as the physical realm in battlefield superiority.”
Hacking Enemy Buildings During Exercise Swift Response 2024
During Exercise Swift Response 2024, for example, the special forces ODA team identified a target building. The team then hacked the Wi-Fi password for the building network and ran exploits on the devices within. “This enabled the team to manipulate security cameras, door locks, and other security systems in the building,” Beery said.
It doesn’t take a military genius of the Sun Tzu level to realize that the ability to gather not only such important intel but also control the target environment is a monumental advantage for the attacking force. During this exercise, one team dealt with hacking and manipulating the building while another took charge of the physical infiltration operation. The second team, which not only had to do a military free fall parachute jump but then march for a total of seven miles to reach the target, could enter through unlocked doors, with no security cameras watching them. “From there they placed signal jamming equipment,” Beery said, “to clear any trace of the attack and exited the premises.”
The cyber team having eyes on the operation, seeing what the infiltration team is doing in real-time, and controlling the targeted environment undetected is a game-changer.
