Investigation of vulnerability in weapons systems where armed forces are becoming softwareized / networked begins

In modern armies where softwareization and networking have progressed, it is essential to ensure cyber security measures against hacking that exploit system vulnerabilities. The US Government Accountability Office ( GAO ) is working on the actual situation survey so as to grasp the current state of security measures of the US military said to go the cutting edge of the world.

Weapon Systems Cybersecurity: DOD Just Beginning to Grapple with Scale of Vulnerabilities
https://www.gao.gov/mobile/products/GAO-19-128#summary

In the modernized army, sophisticated systems such as integrated tactical information transmission systems for sharing information and sharing information by onshore units, aircraft, ships, artificial satellites and so on have been drastically adopted . From the fact that information with high confidentiality is exchanged or because it can lead to a crisis situation related to national defense if it is obeyed by a third party, software that controls information transmission and each equipments, and High security performance is also required for the network itself.

By Duncan Monk

The Department of Defense ( DOD ), which holds the US Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps under its umbrella, will proceed with the development of major weapons systems over 1.66 billion dollars (about 190 billion yen) , And it is extremely important to keep the vulnerability of the entire system, which is thought to be further complicated, low. Meanwhile, GAO received a request to conduct detailed investigation on cyber security of DOD operated weapons system.

According to the GAO who conducted the initial survey, DOD said it turned out to be in a situation facing a big challenge to protect weapons from the advanced cyber crisis. Of course, it is brought about by the situation that "the computerization of weapons advances", but the situation that the understanding of DOD 's response and the understanding of developing a more secure weapon has finally begun There is a certain pattern. As the image diagram below shows, modern weapons are equipped with various systems, and if some of them are hacked or otherwise attacked, serious damage may occur.

And, furthermore, the problem of vulnerability will become bigger when becoming an integrated system where weapons, which are singularly gathering advanced systems, collaborate and carry out strategies.

In order to realize the modern military power required by DOD, automation of systems and connectivity are essential. However, there is also a vulnerability that involves a cyber attack. Although DOD has received pointing out from external organizations such as GAO, GAO points out that there was a lack of awareness of the vulnerability.

Upon development of weapons, of course, very stringent various tests are repeated. In that case, it will be deployed actually after it is confirmed that it will work without problems even in various situations, but among the persons in charge of development tests it is enough for such reasons as "such items are unrealistic" There were circumstances where no trial was done and there were situations where it was possible to take over the system without being noticed just by using simple tools and technologies. Moreover, it seems that the cause was "vulnerable password", "unencrypted communication", and so on.

In the future, DOD is planning to accelerate weapon system vulnerability countermeasure more than before. GAO is going to continue further investigation on it.

By DVIDSHUB