The second most common architecture is the control system network as a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) off the business LAN (see Figure 4). The ultimate objective is to enable DOD to develop a more complete picture of the scope, scale, and implications of cyber vulnerabilities to critical weapons systems and functions. Dorothy E. Denning, Rethinking the Cyber Domain and Deterrence,, Jacquelyn G. Schneider, Deterrence in and Through Cyberspace, in. 114-92, 20152016, available at . The commission proposed Congress amend Section 1647 of the FY16 NDAA (which, as noted, was amended in the FY20 NDAA) to include a requirement for DOD to annually assess major weapons systems vulnerabilities. The Pentagon's concerns are not limited to DoD systems. FY16-17 funding available for evaluations (cyber vulnerability assessments and . The literature on nuclear deterrence theory is extensive. Given the potentially high consequences of cyber threats to NC3 and NLCC, priority should be assigned to identifying threats to these networks and systems, and threat-hunting should recur with a frequency commensurate with the risk and consequences of compromise. An attacker will attempt to take over a machine and wait for the legitimate user to VPN into the control system LAN and piggyback on the connection. Moreover, the process of identifying interdependent vulnerabilities should go beyond assessing technical vulnerabilities to take a risk management approach to drive prioritization given the scope and scale of networked systems. Networks can be used as a pathway from one accessed weapon to attack other systems. The Cyber Awareness training is intended to help the DOD workforce maintain awareness of known and emerging cyber threats, and reinforce best practices to keep information and systems secure. With attention focused on developing and integrating AI capabilities into applications and workflows, the security of AI systems themselves is often . What is Cyber vulnerabilities? Because many application security tools require manual configuration, this process can be rife with errors and take considerable . They generally accept any properly formatted command. Foreign Intelligence Entity (FIE) is defined in DoD Directive 5240.06 as "any known or suspected foreign organization, person, or group (public, private, or . Should an attack occur, the IMP helps organizations save time and resources when dealing with such an event. Capabilities are going to be more diverse and adaptable. For additional definitions of deterrence, see Glenn H. Snyder, (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1961); Robert Jervis, Deterrence Theory Revisited,. cyber vulnerabilities to dod systems may include On May 20, the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) posted a request for information (RFI) for cyber vulnerability services. Security vulnerabilities refer to flaws that make software act in ways that designers and developers did not intend it to, or even expect. While military cyber defenses are formidable, civilian . Establishing an explicit oversight function mechanism will also hopefully create mechanisms to ensure that DOD routinely assesses every segment of the NC3 and NLCC enterprise for adherence to cybersecurity best practices, vulnerabilities, and evidence of compromise. Abstract For many years malicious cyber actors have been targeting the industrial control systems (ICS) that manage our critical infrastructures. JFQ. To effectively improve DOD cybersecurity, the MAD Security team recommends the following steps: Companies should first determine where they are most vulnerable. 11 Robert J. The attacker must know how to speak the RTU protocol to control the RTU. A person who is knowledgeable in process equipment, networks, operating systems and software applications can use these and other electronic means to gain access to the CS. 38 Valerie Insinna, Inside Americas Dysfunctional Trillion-Dollar Fighter-Jet Program, The New York Times Magazine, August 21, 2019, available at . 35 Relatedly, adversary campaigns to conduct cyber-enabled intellectual property theft against the U.S. military and the defense industrial base are also a concern because they continue to cause staggering losses of national security information and intellectual property. Research in vulnerability analysis aims to improve ways of discovering vulnerabilities and making them public to prevent attackers from exploiting them. Some key works include Kenneth N. Waltz, The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: More May Be Better, Adelphi Papers 171 (London: International Institute for Strategic Studies, 1981); Lawrence D. Freedman and Jeffrey Michaels, The Evolution of Nuclear Strategy (London: Macmillan, 1989); Robert Powell, Nuclear Deterrence Theory: The Search for Credibility (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990); Richard K. Betts, Nuclear Blackmail and Nuclear Balance (Washington, DC: Brookings Institution Press, 1987); Bernard Brodie, Strategy in the Missile Age (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2015); Schelling, Arms and Influence. 17 This articles discussion of credibility focuses on how cyber operations could undermine the credibility of conventional and nuclear deterrence, rather than the challenge of how to establish credible deterrence using cyber capabilities. On October 9th, 2018, the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) published a report to the Senate that details the cybersecurity vulnerabilities of the Department of Defense's (DOD) weapon systems. To strengthen congressional oversight and drive continued progress and attention toward these issues, the requirement to conduct periodic vulnerability assessments should also include an after-action report that includes current and planned efforts to address cyber vulnerabilities of interdependent and networked weapons systems in broader mission areas, with an intent to gain mission assurance of these platforms. Your small business may. As illustrated in Figure 1, there are many ways to communicate with a CS network and components using a variety of computing and communications equipment. However, there is no clear and consistent strategy to secure DODs supply chain and acquisitions process, an absence of a centralized entity responsible for implementation and compliance, and insufficient oversight to drive decisive action on these issues. The attacker is also limited to the commands allowed for the currently logged-in operator. Cyber vulnerabilities to DoD Systems may include All of the above Foreign Intelligence Entity . Until recently, DODs main acquisitions requirements policy did not systematically address cybersecurity concerns. Then, in part due to inconsistencies in compliance, verification, and enforcement in the cybersecurity standards established in DFARS, in 2019 DOD issued the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, which created new, tiered cybersecurity standards for defense contractors and was meant to build on the 2016 DFARS requirement.54 However, this has resulted in confusion about requirements, and the process for independently auditing and verifying compliance remains in nascent stages of development.55 At the same time, in the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), Congress took legislative action to ban government procurement of or contracting with entities that procure telecommunications technologies from specific Chinese firms, including Huawei and ZTE, and affiliated organizations. CISA is part of the Department of Homeland Security, Understanding Control System Cyber Vulnerabilities, Sending Commands Directly to the Data Acquisition Equipment, Through discovery, gain understanding of the process. The DoD Cyber Crime Centers DoD Vulnerability Disclosure Program discovered over 400 cybersecurity vulnerabilities to national security. Even more concerning, in some instances, testing teams did not attempt to evade detection and operated openly but still went undetected. Erik Gartzke and Jon R. Lindsay (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019), 104. 1 (2015), 5367; Nye, Deterrence and Dissuasion, 4952. "In operational testing, DoD routinely found mission-critical cyber vulnerabilities in systems that were under development, yet program officials GAO met with believed their systems were secure and discounted some test results as unrealistic," GAO said. In terms of legislative remedies, the Cyberspace Solarium Commission report recommends Congress update its recent legislative measures to assess the cyber vulnerabilities of weapons systems to account for a number of important gaps. In recent years, that has transitioned to VPN access to the control system LAN. Cyber threats to a control system refer to persons who attempt unauthorized access to a control system device and/or network using a data communications pathway. For example, there is no permanent process to periodically assess the vulnerability of fielded systems, despite the fact that the threat environment is dynamic and vulnerabilities are not constant. 12 Joseph S. Nye, Jr., Deterrence and Dissuasion in Cyberspace, International Security 41, no. A system could be exploited through a single vulnerability, for example, a single SQL Injection attack could give an attacker full control over sensitive data. Often administrators go to great lengths to configure firewall rules, but spend no time securing the database environment. Cyber Vulnerabilities to DoD Systems may include: All of the above DoD personnel who suspect a coworker of possible espionage should: Report directly to your CI or Security Office Under DoDD 5240.06 Reportable Foreign Intelligence Contacts, Activities, Indicators and Behaviors; which of the following is not reportable? Cyber Defense Infrastructure Support. Credibility lies at the crux of successful deterrence. Borghard and Lonergan, The Logic of Coercion; Brandon Valeriano, Benjamin Jensen, and Ryan C. Maness, Cyber Strategy: The Evolving Character of Power and Coercion. Rules added to the Intrusion Detection System (IDS) looking for those files are effective in spotting attackers. However, adversaries could compromise the integrity of command and control systemsmost concerningly for nuclear weaponswithout exploiting technical vulnerabilities in the digital infrastructure on which these systems rely. . Specifically, efforts to defend forward below the level of warto observe and pursue adversaries as they maneuver in gray and red space, and to counter adversary operations, capabilities, and infrastructure when authorizedcould yield positive cascading effects that support deterrence of strategic cyberattacks.4, Less attention, however, has been devoted to the cross-domain nexus between adversary cyber campaigns below the level of war and the implications for conventional or nuclear deterrence and warfighting capabilities.5 The most critical comparative warfighting advantage the United States enjoys relative to its adversaries is its technological edge in the conventional weapons realmeven as its hold may be weakening.6 Indeed, this is why adversaries prefer to contest the United States below the level of war, in the gray zone, and largely avoid direct military confrontation where they perceive a significant U.S. advantage. The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21) is the most significant attempt ever undertaken by Congress to improve national cybersecurity and protect U.S. critical infrastructure from nation-state, non-state, and criminal behavior. MAD Security recently collaborated with Design Interactive, a cutting-edge research and software development company trying to enhance cybersecurity to prevent cyber attacks. Optimizing the mix of service members, civilians and contractors who can best support the mission. 2 (2016), 6673; Nye, Deterrence and Dissuasion, 4471; Martin, (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2016); Aaron F. Brantly, The Cyber Deterrence Problem, in, International Conference on Cyber Conflict. The program grew out of the success of the "Hack the Pentagon". Contact us today to set up your cyber protection. For example, China is the second-largest spender on research and development (R&D) after the United States, accounting for 21 percent of the worlds total R&D spending in 2015. These applications can result in real-time operational control adjustments, reports, alarms and events, calculated data source for the master database server archival, or support of real-time analysis work being performed from the engineering workstation or other interface computers. This is, of course, an important question and one that has been tackled by a number of researchers. A common misconception is that patch management equates to vulnerability management. 59 These include implementing defend forward, which plays an important role in addressing one aspect of this challenge. Nevertheless, the stakes remain high to preserve the integrity of core conventional and nuclear deterrence and warfighting capabilities, and efforts thus far, while important, have not been sufficiently comprehensive. to reduce the risk of major cyberattacks on them. DOD must additionally consider incorporating these considerations into preexisting table-top exercises and scenarios around nuclear force employment while incorporating lessons learned into future training.67 Implementing these recommendations would enhance existing DOD efforts and have a decisive impact on enhancing the security and resilience of the entire DOD enterprise and the critical weapons systems and functions that buttress U.S. deterrence and warfighting capabilities. 115232August 13, 2018, 132 Stat. Task Force Report: Resilient Military Systems and the Advanced Cyber Threat, (Washington, DC: DOD, January 2013), available at <, https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB424/docs/Cyber-081.pdf, Audit of the DoDs Management of the Cybersecurity Risks for Government Purchase Card Purchases of the Commercial Off-the-Shelf Items, , Report No. None of the above Strengthening the cybersecurity of systems and networks that support DOD missions, including those in the private sector and our foreign allies and partners. False 3. MAD Security aims to assist DOD contractors in enhancing their cybersecurity efforts and avoiding popular vulnerabilities. Wireless access points that allow unauthorized connection to system components and networks present vulnerabilities. Through the mutual cooperation between industry and the military in securing information, the DoD optimizes security investments, secures critical information, and provides an . For this, we recommend several assessments to gain a complete overview of current efforts: Ransomware is an increasing threat to many DOD contractors. Such devices should contain software designed to both notify and protect systems in case of an attack. National Counterintelligence and Security Center, Supply Chain Risk Management: Reducing Threats to Key U.S. Supply Chains, (Washington, DC: Office of the Director of National Intelligence, 2020), available at <, https://www.dni.gov/files/NCSC/documents/supplychain/20200925-NCSC-Supply-Chain-Risk-Management-tri-fold.pdf, For a strategy addressing supply chain security at the national level, beyond DOD and defense institution building. 2. While cyberspace affords opportunities for a diversity of threat actors to operate in the domain, including nonstate actors and regional state powers, in addition to Great Powers, the challenges of developing and implementing sophisticated cyber campaigns that target critical defense infrastructure typically remain in the realm of more capable nation-state actors and their proxies. The challenge of securing these complex systems is compounded by the interaction of legacy and newer weapons systemsand most DOD weapons platforms are legacy platforms. Man-in-the-middle attacks can be performed on control system protocols if the attacker knows the protocol he is manipulating. Around 68% of companies have been said to experience at least one endpoint attack that compromised their data or infrastructure. Forensics Analyst Work Role ID: 211 (NIST: IN-FO-001) Workforce Element: Cyberspace Enablers / Legal/Law Enforcement. April 29, 2019. large versionFigure 1: Communications access to control systems. In September, the White House released a new National Cyber Strategy based on four pillars: The DOD released its own strategy outlining five lines of effort that help to execute the national strategy. See, for example, Martin C. Libicki, Brandishing Cyberattack Capabilities (Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2013); Brendan Rittenhouse Green and Austin Long, Conceal or Reveal? However, one notable distinction is Arts focus on the military instrument of power (chiefly nuclear weapons) as a tool of deterrence, whereas Nyes concept of deterrence implies a broader set of capabilities that could be marshalled to prevent unwanted behavior. 2 (2016), 6673; Nye, Deterrence and Dissuasion, 4471; Martin C. Libicki, Cyberspace in Peace and War (Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2016); Aaron F. Brantly, The Cyber Deterrence Problem, in 2018 10th International Conference on Cyber Conflict, ed. Early this year, a criminal ring dubbed Carbanak cyber gang was discovered by the experts at Kaspersky Lab, the hackers have swiped over $1 Billion from banks worldwide The financial damage to the world economy due to cybercrime exceed 575 billion dollars, the figures are disconcerting if we consider that are greater than the GDP of many countries. large versionFigure 9: IT Controlled Communication Gear. Most control systems have some mechanism for engineers on the business LAN to access the control system LAN. Often the easiest way onto a control system LAN is to take over neighboring utilities or manufacturing partners. Recently, peer links have been restricted behind firewalls to specific hosts and ports. Kristen Renwick Monroe (Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers, 2002), 293312. Several threats are identified. Every business has its own minor variations dictated by their environment. 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