But our competitors including terrorists, criminals, and foreign adversaries such as Russia and China - are also using cyber to try to steal our technology, disrupt our economy and government processes, and threaten critical infrastructure. The consequences are significant, particularly in the nuclear command and control realm, because not employing a capability could undermine positive and negative control over nuclear weapons and inevitably the stability of nuclear deterrence. Actionable information includes potential system vulnerabilities, demonstrated means of exploitation of those vulnerabilities . For instance, he probably could not change the phase tap on a transformer. Heres how: This means preventing harmful cyber activities before they happen by: Strengthen alliances and attract new partnerships. In recent years, that has transitioned to VPN access to the control system LAN. Automation and large-scale data analytics will help identify cyberattacks and make sure our systems are still effective. Erik Gartzke and Jon R. Lindsay, Thermonuclear Cyberwar,, Austin Long, A Cyber SIOP? Over the past year, a number of seriously consequential cyber attacks against the United States have come to light. Capabilities are going to be more diverse and adaptable. Dr. Erica Borghard is a Resident Senior Fellow in the New American Engagement Initiative, ScowcroftCenter for Strategy and Security, at the Atlantic Council. Therefore, while technologically advanced U.S. military capabilities form the bedrock of its military advantage, they also create cyber vulnerabilities that adversaries can and will undoubtedly use to their strategic advantage. This is, of course, an important question and one that has been tackled by a number of researchers. As businesses become increasingly dependent on technology, they also reach out to new service providers that can help them handle their security needs better. 61 HASC, William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021: Conference Report to Accompany H.R. Each control system vendor calls the database something different, but nearly every control system assigns each sensor, pump, breaker, etc., a unique number. By Mark Montgomery and Erica Borghard Individual weapons platforms do not in reality operate in isolation from one another. The Defense Department is in the stages of improving the cyber security of the weapon systems it develops and the vulnerabilities of these systems are made worse due to their complexity, warns a new report by congressional auditors. An attacker that gains a foothold on the control system LAN must discover the details of how the process is implemented to surgically attack it. 54 For gaps in and industry reaction to the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement, see, for example, National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA), Implementing Cybersecurity in DOD Supply Chains White Paper: Manufacturing Division Survey Results (Arlington, VA: NDIA, July 2018), available at . It may appear counter-intuitive to alter a solution that works for business processes. The second most common architecture is the control system network as a Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) off the business LAN (see Figure 4). (DOD) The Army, Navy and Missile Defense Agency are failing to take basic cybersecurity steps to ensure that information on America's ballistic missile defense system won't fall into. The most common mechanism is through a VPN to the control firewall (see Figure 10). Therefore, DOD must also evaluate how a cyber intrusion or attack on one system could affect the entire missionin other words, DOD must assess vulnerabilities at a systemic level. 23 For some illustrative examples, see Robert Jervis, Some Thoughts on Deterrence in the Cyber Era, Journal of Information Warfare 15, no. JFQ. Art, To What Ends Military Power? International Security 4, no. Several threats are identified. Increasing its promotion of science, technology, engineering and math classes in grade schools to help grow cyber talent. Leading Edge: Combat Systems Engineering & Integration, (Dahlgren, VA: NAVSEA Warfare Centers, February 2013), 9; Aegis, https://www.navy.mil/Resources/Fact-Files/Display-FactFiles/Article/2166739/aegis-weapon-system/. Specifically, DOD could develop a campaign plan for a threat-hunting capability that takes a risk-based approach to analyzing threat intelligence and assessing likely U.S. and allied targets of adversary interest. U.S. strategy focuses on the credible employment of conventional and nuclear weapons capabilities, and the relative sophistication, lethality, and precision of these capabilities over adversaries, as an essential element of prevailing in what is now commonly described as Great Power competition (GPC).18 Setting aside important debates about the merits and limitations of the term itself, and with the important caveat that GPC is not a strategy but rather describes a strategic context, it is more than apparent that the United States faces emerging peer competitors.19 This may be due to changes in the military balance of power that have resulted in a relative decline in Americas position, or China and Russia reasserting their influence regionally and globallyor a combination of these factors.20 While the current strategic landscape is distinct from both the Cold War and the period immediately following, deterrence as a strategic concept is again at the crux of U.S. strategy but with new applications and challenges. The scans usually cover web servers as well as networks. 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. 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,, https://www.wired.com/story/how-the-us-can-prevent-the-next-cyber-911/. 2 (Summer 1995), 157181. Managing Clandestine Military Capabilities in Peacetime Competition, International Security 44, no. For a notable exception, see Erik Gartzke and Jon R. Lindsay, eds., Cross-Domain Deterrence: Strategy in an Era of Complexity, Annual Report to Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the Peoples Republic of China 2020, The spread of advanced air defenses, antisatellite, and cyberwarfare capabilities has given weaker actors the ability to threaten the United States and its allies. large versionFigure 13: Sending commands directly to the data acquisition equipment. Defense Acquisition Regulations System, Attn: Ms. Kimberly Ziegler, OUSD(A&S)DPC(DARS), 3060 . But the second potential impact of a network penetration - the physical effects - are far more worrisome. On the communications protocol level, the devices are simply referred to by number. See National Science Board, Overview of the State of the U.S. S&E Enterprise in a Global Context, in. 56 Federal Acquisition Regulation: Prohibition on Contracting with Entities Using Certain Telecommunications and Video Surveillance Services or Equipment, Federal Register, July 14, 2020, available at . Defense contractors are not exempt from such cybersecurity threats. Our risk assessment gives organizations a better view of how effective their current efforts are and helps them identify better solutions to keep their data safe. Specifically, in Section 1647 of the FY16 NDAA, which was subsequently updated in Section 1633 of the FY20 NDAA, Congress directed DOD to assess the cyber vulnerabilities of each major weapons system.60 Although this process has commenced, gaps remain that must be remediated. Most control systems have some mechanism for engineers on the business LAN to access the control system LAN. Erik Gartzke and Jon R. Lindsay (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019), 104. Vulnerabilities such as these have important implications for deterrence and warfighting. 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. For instance, the typical feared scenario is the equivalent of a cyber Pearl Harbor or a cyber 9/11 eventa large-scale cyberattack against critical U.S. infrastructure that causes significant harm to life or property.34 This line of thinking, however, risks missing the ostensibly more significant threat posed by stealthy cyberspace activities that could undermine the stability of conventional or nuclear deterrence. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) defines a vulnerability as a "weakness in an information system, system security procedures, internal controls, or implementation that could be exploited or triggered by a threat source." Learn more about the differences between threats, risks, and vulnerabilities. The recent additions of wireless connectivity such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and LTE increase the risk of compromise. 2 (February 2016). (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). An effective attack is to export the screen of the operator's HMI console back to the attacker (see Figure 14). 30 Dorothy E. Denning, Rethinking the Cyber Domain and Deterrence, Joint Force Quarterly 77 (2nd Quarter 2015). 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. Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition, Chief Systems Engineer, Naval Systems of Systems Systems Engineering Guidebook, Volume II. This could take place in positive or negative formsin other words, perpetrating information as a means to induce operations to erroneously make a decision to employ a capability or to refrain from carrying out a lawful order. The public-private cybersecurity partnership provides a collaborative environment for crowd-sourced threat sharing at both unclassified and classified levels, CDC cyber resilience analysis, and cyber security-as-a-service pilot . See also Alexander L. George, William E. Simons, and David I. Hall, eds.. (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1994), for a more extensive list of success criteria. Unfortunately, in many cases when contractors try to enhance their security, they face a lot of obstacles that prevent them from effectively keeping their data and infrastructure protected. In recent years, while DOD has undertaken efforts to assess the cyber vulnerabilities of individual weapons platforms, critical gaps in the infrastructure remain. This website uses cookies to help personalize and improve your experience. 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. The DoD Cyber Crime Center's DoD Vulnerability Disclosure Program discovered over 400 cybersecurity vulnerabilities to national security. Choose which Defense.gov products you want delivered to your inbox. The department will do this by: Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Four Pillars U.S. National Cyber Strategy, Hosted by Defense Media Activity - WEB.mil. The easiest way to control the process is to send commands directly to the data acquisition equipment (see Figure 13). 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. Most control systems utilize specialized applications for performing operational and business related data processing. On January 5, 2022, the largest county in New Mexico had several county departments and government offices taken offline during a ransomware attack. Its worth noting, however, that ransomware insurance can have certain limitations contractors should be aware of. Therefore, urgent policy action is needed to address the cyber vulnerabilities of key weapons systems and functions. An official website of the United States Government. Every business has its own minor variations dictated by their environment. 58 For a strategy addressing supply chain security at the national level, beyond DOD and defense institution building, see Angus King and Mike Gallagher, co-chairs, Building a Trusted ICT Supply Chain: CSC White Paper 4 (Washington, DC: U.S. Cyberspace Solarium Commission, October 2020), available at . This graphic describes the four pillars of the U.S. National Cyber Strategy. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990); Richard K. Betts. Operational Considerations for Strategic Offensive Cyber Planning, Journal of Cybersecurity 3, no. Rules added to the Intrusion Detection System (IDS) looking for those files are effective in spotting attackers. Cyber vulnerabilities to DoD Systems may include All of the above Foreign Intelligence Entity . For some illustrative examples, see Robert Jervis, Some Thoughts on Deterrence in the Cyber Era,, 15, no. 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). Once inside, the intruder could steal data or alter the network. Rather, most modern weapons systems comprise a complex set of systemssystems of systems that entail operat[ing] multiple platforms and systems in a collaborate manner to perform military missions.48 An example is the Aegis weapon system, which contains a variety of integrated subsystems, including detection, command and control, targeting, and kinetic capabilities.49 Therefore, vulnerability assessments that focus on individual platforms are unable to identify potential vulnerabilities that may arise when these capabilities interact or work together as part of a broader, networked platform. Most RTUs require no authentication or a password for authentication. . , ed. See also Martin C. Libicki, David Senty, and Julia Pollak, Hackers Wanted: An Examination of the Cybersecurity Labor Market (Santa Monica, CA: RAND, 2014), x; Julian Jang-Jaccard and Surya Nepal, A Survey of Emerging Threats in Cybersecurity, Journal of Computer and System Sciences 80, no. It is common to find RTUs with the default passwords still enabled in the field. 2 (January 1979), 289324; Thomas C. Schelling, The Strategy of Conflict (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1980); and Thomas C. Schelling, Arms and Influence (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1966). Another pathway through which adversaries can exploit vulnerabilities in weapons systems is the security of the DOD supply chainthe global constellation of components and processes that form the production of DOD capabilitieswhich is shaped by DODs acquisitions strategy, regulations, and requirements. Essentially, Design Interactive discovered their team lacked both the expertise and confidence to effectively enhance their cybersecurity. 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. Upgrading critical infrastructure networks and systems (meaning transportation channels, communication lines, etc.) Note that in the case above, Cyber vulnerabilities to dod systems may include All of the above Options. 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. 41 Weapon Systems Cybersecurity: DOD Just Beginning to Grapple with Scale of Vulnerabilities, GAO-19-128 (Washington, DC: Government Accountability Office, 2018), available at . - Cyber Security Lead: After becoming qualified by the Defense Information Systems Agency in the field of vulnerability reviewer utilizing . Our working definition of deterrence is therefore consistent with how Nye approaches the concept. This discussion provides a high level overview of these topics but does not discuss detailed exploits used by attackers to accomplish intrusion. 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. Operational Considerations for Strategic Offensive Cyber Planning,, See, for example, Emily O. Goldman and Michael Warner, Why a Digital Pearl Harbor Makes Sense . Most Remote Terminal Units (RTUs) identify themselves and the vendor who made them. Counterintelligence Core Concerns . large versionFigure 7: Dial-up access to the RTUs. malware implantation) to permit remote access. While the Pentagon report has yet to be released, a scathing report on Defense Department weapons systems [2] published early this October by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) [] Implementing the Cyberspace Solarium Commissions recommendations would go a long way toward restoring confidence in the security and resilience of the U.S. military capabilities that are the foundation of the Nations deterrent. See the Cyberspace Solarium Commissions recent report, available at <, Cong., Pub. a. There is instead decentralized responsibility across DOD, coupled with a number of reactive and ad hoc measures that leave DOD without a complete picture of its supply chain, dynamic understanding of the scope and scale of its vulnerabilities, and consistent mechanisms to rapidly remediate these vulnerabilities. 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