14 Schelling, Arms and Influence; Erica D. Borghard and Shawn W. Lonergan, The Logic of Coercion in Cyberspace, Security Studies 26, no. large versionFigure 7: Dial-up access to the RTUs. Prioritizing Weapon System Cybersecurity in a Post-Pandemic Defense Department May 13, 2020 The coronavirus pandemic illustrates the extraordinary impact that invisible vulnerabilitiesif unmitigated and exploitedcan have on both the Department of Defense (DOD) and on national security more broadly. Administration of the firewalls is generally a joint effort between the control system and IT departments. 7 The spread of advanced air defenses, antisatellite, and cyberwarfare capabilities has given weaker actors the ability to threaten the United States and its allies. Failure to proactively and systematically address cyber threats and vulnerabilities to critical weapons systems, and to the DOD enterprise, has deleterious implications for the U.S. ability to deter war, or fight and win if deterrence fails. At MAD, Building network detection and response capabilities into MAD Securitys managed security service offering. Erik Gartzke and Jon R. Lindsay, Thermonuclear Cyberwar,, Austin Long, A Cyber SIOP? A Cyber Economic Vulnerability Assessment (CEVA) shall include the development . large versionFigure 15: Changing the database. An attacker wishing control simply establishes a connection with the data acquisition equipment and issues the appropriate commands. This often includes maintenance planning, customer service center, inventory control, management and administration, and other units that rely on this data to make timely business decisions. Contact us today to set up your cyber protection. The types of data include data from the following sources: the data acquisition server, operator control interactions, alarms and events, and calculated and generated from other sources. 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. a. Erik Gartzke and Jon R. Lindsay (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019), 104. If you feel you are being solicited for information, which of the following should you do? "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. 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. While the United States has ostensibly deterred strategic cyberattacks above the threshold of armed conflict, it has failed to create sufficient costs for adversaries below that threshold in a way that would shape adversary behavior in a desired direction.1 Effectively, this tide of malicious behavior represents a deterrence failure for strategic cyber campaigns below the use-of-force threshold; threat actors have not been dissuaded from these types of campaigns because they have not perceived that the costs or risks of conducting them outweigh the benefits.2 This breakdown has led to systemic and pervasive efforts by adversaries to leverage U.S. vulnerabilities and its large attack surface in cyberspace to conduct intellectual property theftincluding critical national security intellectual propertyat scale, use cyberspace in support of information operations that undermine Americas democratic institutions, and hold at risk the critical infrastructure that sustains the U.S. economy, national security, and way of life. As stated in the Summary: DOD Cyber Strategy 2018, The Department must defend its own networks, systems, and information from malicious cyber activity and be prepared to defend, when directed, those networks and systems operated by non-DOD-owned Defense Critical Infrastructure (DCI) and Defense Industrial Base (DIB) entities. Ensuring the Cyber Mission Force has the right size for the mission is important. This website uses cookies to help personalize and improve your experience. Encuentro Cuerpo Consular de Latinoamerica - Mesa de Concertacin MHLA 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. Rules added to the Intrusion Detection System (IDS) looking for those files are effective in spotting attackers. In that case, it is common to find one or more pieces of the communications pathways controlled and administered from the business LAN. Kristen Renwick Monroe (Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Publishers, 2002), 293312. As adversaries cyber threats become more sophisticated, addressing the cybersecurity of DODs increasingly advanced and networked weapons systems should be prioritized. 66 HASC, William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021, H.R. However, adversaries could hold these at risk in cyberspace, potentially undermining deterrence. For example, as a complement to institutionalizing a continuous process for DOD to assess the cyber vulnerabilities of weapons systems, the department could formalize a capacity for continuously seeking out and remediating cyber threats across the entire enterprise. The controller unit communicates to a CS data acquisition server using various communications protocols (structured formats for data packaging for transmission). 64 As DOD begins to use and incorporate emerging technology, such as artificial intelligence, into its weapons platforms and systems, cybersecurity will also need to be incorporated into the early stages of the acquisitions process. 114-92, 20152016, available at . Enhancing endpoint security (meaning on devices such as desktops, laptops, mobile devices, etc), is another top priority when enhancing DOD cybersecurity. These cyber vulnerabilities to the Department of Defenses systems may include: Companies like American Express and Snapchat have had their vulnerabilities leveraged in the past to send phishing emails to Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 users. The DoD Cyber Crime Centers DoD Vulnerability Disclosure Program discovered over 400 cybersecurity vulnerabilities to national security. In 1996, a GAO audit first warned that hackers could take total control of entire defense systems. 52 Manual for the Operation of the Joint Capabilities Integration and Development System (Washington, DC: DOD, August 2018). Optimizing the mix of service members, civilians and contractors who can best support the mission. Cybersecurity Personnel who secure, defend, and preserve data, networks, net-centric capabilities, and other designated systems by ensuring appropriate security controls and measures are in place, and taking internal defense actions. By inserting commands into the command stream the attacker can issue arbitrary or targeted commands. Controller units connect to the process devices and sensors to gather status data and provide operational control of the devices. Streamlining public-private information-sharing. Then, in 2004, another GAO audit warned that using the Internet as a connectivity tool would create vast new opportunities for hackers. Using this simple methodology, a high-level calculation of cyber risk in an IT infrastructure can be developed: Cyber risk = Threat x Vulnerability x Information Value. . See also Martin C. Libicki, David Senty, and Julia Pollak, Hackers Wanted: An Examination of the Cybersecurity Labor Market, Julian Jang-Jaccard and Surya Nepal, A Survey of Emerging Threats in Cybersecurity,. A 2021 briefing from the DOD Inspector General revealed cybersecurity vulnerabilities in a B-2 Spirit Bomber, guided missile, missile warning system, and tactical radio system. 57 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 . Part of this is about conducting campaigns to address IP theft from the DIB. Cyber vulnerabilities in the private sector pose a serious threat to national security, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. The increasingly computerized and networked nature of the U.S. military's weapons contributes to their vulnerability. An attacker will attempt to gain access to internal vendor resources or field laptops and piggyback on the connection into the control system LAN. 2 (Summer 1995), 157181. 12 Joseph S. Nye, Jr., Deterrence and Dissuasion in Cyberspace, International Security 41, no. 1 Summary: Department of Defense Cyber Strategy 2018 (Washington, DC: Department of Defense [DOD], 2018), available at ; Achieve and Maintain Cyberspace Superiority: Command Vision for U.S. Cyber Command (Washington, DC: U.S. Cyber Command, 2018), available at ; An Interview with Paul M. Nakasone, Joint Force Quarterly 92 (1st Quarter 2019), 67. A skilled attacker can reconfigure or compromise those pieces of communications gear to control field communications (see Figure 9). What we know from past experience is that information about U.S. weapons is sought after. 19 For one take on the Great Power competition terminology, see Zack Cooper, Bad Idea: Great Power Competition Terminology (Washington, DC: Center for Strategic and International Studies, December 1, 2020), available at . 4 As defined in Joint Publication 3-12, Cyberspace Operations (Washington, DC: The Joint Staff, June 8, 2018), The term blue cyberspace denotes areas in cyberspace protected by [the United States], its mission partners, and other areas DOD may be ordered to protect, while red cyberspace refers to those portions of cyberspace owned or controlled by an adversary or enemy. Finally, all cyberspace that does not meet the description of either blue or red is referred to as gray cyberspace (I-4, I-5). 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. large versionFigure 14: Exporting the HMI screen. An attacker can modify packets in transit, providing both a full spoof of the operator HMI displays and full control of the control system (see Figure 16). Many breaches can be attributed to human error. Indeed, Nyes extension of deterrence to cyberspace incorporates four deterrence mechanisms: threat of punishment, denial by defense, entanglement, and normative taboos.13 This is precisely because of the challenges associated with relying solely on military power and punishment logics to achieve cyber deterrence. Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, recently told the Defense Media Activity the private sector's cyber vulnerabilities also threaten national security because the military depends on commercial networks. The attacker dials every phone number in a city looking for modems. An attacker that just wants to shut down a process needs very little discovery. Nevertheless, policymakers attention to cyber threats to conventional and nuclear deterrence has been drowned out by other concernssome of which are inflatedin the cyber domain. These include the SolarWinds breach,1 ransomware attacks on Colonial Pipeline2 and the JBS meat processing company,3 and a compromise of the email systems of the U.S. Agency for International Development.4 U.S. officials have indicated their belief that Russia either sponsored . 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. Common Confusion between Patch and Vulnerability Management in CMMC Compliance, MAD Security Partners with OpenText Response to improve response time to cyber threats and shrink the attack surface, Analyzing regulations compliance of the current system. 2 The United States has long maintained strategic ambiguity about how to define what constitutes a use of force in any domain, including cyberspace, and has taken a more flexible stance in terms of the difference between a use of force and armed attack as defined in the United Nations charter. George Perkovich and Ariel E. Levite (Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2017), 147157; and Justin Sherman, How the U.S. Can Prevent the Next Cyber 9/11, Wired, August 6, 2020, available at . Prior to the 2018 strategy, defending its networks had been DODs primary focus; see, https://archive.defense.gov/home/features/2015/0415_cyber-strategy/final_2015_dod_cyber_strategy_for_web.pdf. (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018); An Interview with Paul M. Nakasone, 4. The Government Accountability Office warned in a report issued today that the Defense Department "faces mounting challenges in protecting its weapons systems from increasingly sophisticated cyber threats," and, because of its "late start" in prioritizing weapons systems cybersecurity, needs to "sustain its momentum" in developing and implementing key weapon systems security . Nikto also contains a database with more than 6400 different types of threats. The Public Inspection page may also include documents scheduled for later issues, at the request of the issuing agency. The two most valuable items to an attacker are the points in the data acquisition server database and the HMI display screens. (Washington, DC: The Joint Staff, June 8, 2018), The term blue cyberspace denotes areas in cyberspace protected by [the United States], its mission partners, and other areas DOD may be ordered to protect, while red cyberspace refers to those portions of cyberspace owned or controlled by an adversary or enemy. Finally, all cyberspace that does not meet the description of either blue or red is referred to as gray cyberspace (I-4, I-5). Additionally, the current requirement is to assess the vulnerabilities of individual weapons platforms. An official website of the United States Government. 3 (January 2017), 45. This may allow an attacker who can sneak a payload onto any control system machine to call back out of the control system LAN to the business LAN or the Internet (see Figure 7). , ed. Bernalillo County had its security cameras and automatic doors taken offline in the Metropolitan Detention Center, creating a state of emergency inside the jail as the prisoners movement needed to be restricted. In a 2021 declassified briefing, the US Department of Defense disclosed that cybersecurity risks had been identified in multiple systems, including a missile warning system, a tactical radio. The business LAN is protected from the Internet by a firewall and the control system LAN is protected from the business LAN by a separate firewall. MAD Security aims to assist DOD contractors in enhancing their cybersecurity efforts and avoiding popular vulnerabilities. On December 3, Senate and House conferees issued their report on the FY21 NDAA . 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. 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. This data is retained for trending, archival, regulatory, and external access needs of the business. 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. A telematics system is tightly integrated with other systems in a vehicle and provides a number of functions for the user. Estimates claim 4 companies fall prey to malware attempts every minute, with 58% of all malware being trojan accounts. Most control systems come with a vendor support agreement. 3 (2017), 454455. Your small business may. Tests, implements, deploys, maintains, reviews, and administers the infrastructure hardware and software that are required to effectively manage the computer network defense service provider network and resources. Multiplexers for microwave links and fiber runs are the most common items. 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. This graphic describes the four pillars of the U.S. National Cyber Strategy. hile 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 DOD is making strides in this by: Retaining the current cyber workforce is key, as is finding talented new people to recruit. The database provides threat data used to compare with the results of a web vulnerability scan. The second most common architecture is the control system network as a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) off the business LAN (see Figure 4). the cyber vulnerabilities that exist across conventional and nuclear weapons platforms pose meaningful risks to deterrence. large versionFigure 13: Sending commands directly to the data acquisition equipment. Often administrators go to great lengths to configure firewall rules, but spend no time securing the database environment. 5 For a notable exception, see Erik Gartzke and Jon R. Lindsay, eds., Cross-Domain Deterrence: Strategy in an Era of Complexity (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019). Falcon 9 Starlink L24 rocket successfully launches from SLC-40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, April 28, 2021 (U.S. Space Force/Joshua Conti), Educating, Developing and Inspiring National Security Leadership, Photo By: Mark Montgomery and Erica Borghard, Summary: Department of Defense Cyber Strategy, (Washington, DC: Department of Defense [DOD], 2018), available at <, 8/Sep/18/2002041658/-1/-1/1/CYBER_STRATEGY_SUMMARY_FINAL.PDF, Achieve and Maintain Cyberspace Superiority: Command Vision for U.S. Cyber Command, (Washington, DC: U.S. Cyber Command, 2018), available at <, https://www.cybercom.mil/Portals/56/Documents/USCYBERCOM%20Vision%20April%202018.pdf?ver=2018-06-14-152556-010, The United States has long maintained strategic ambiguity about how to define what constitutes a, in any domain, including cyberspace, and has taken a more flexible stance in terms of the difference between a. as defined in the United Nations charter. On January 5, 2022, the largest county in New Mexico had several county departments and government offices taken offline during a ransomware attack. These vulnerabilities pass through to defense systems, and if there are sophisticated vulnerabilities, it is highly unlikely they will be discovered by the DoD, whether on PPP-cleared systems or on heritage systems. A new trend is to install a data DMZ between the corporate LAN and the control system LAN (see Figure 6). Each control system vendor is unique in where it stores the operator HMI screens and the points database. 8 Gordon Lubold and Dustin Volz, Navy, Industry Partners Are Under Cyber Siege by Chinese Hackers, Review Asserts, Wall Street Journal, March 2019, available at ; Zak Doffman, Cyber Warfare: U.S. Military Admits Immediate Danger Is Keeping Us Up at Night, Forbes, July 21, 2019, available at . 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. Dr. Erica Borghard is a Resident Senior Fellow in the New American Engagement Initiative, ScowcroftCenter for Strategy and Security, at the Atlantic Council. Below we review the seven most common types of cyber vulnerabilities and how organizations can neutralize them: 1. A surgical attacker needs a list of the point reference numbers in use and the information required to assign meaning to each of those numbers. Telematics system is tightly integrated with other systems in a vehicle and provides number. Gather status data and provide operational control of entire Defense systems managed security offering! For Fiscal Year 2021, H.R include many risks that CMMC compliance addresses and contractors who can best support mission. 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