The Department of Defense has recently released its latest “Defense Industrial Base Cybersecurity Strategy” which outlines cyber defense goals for the next three fiscal years. The purpose of this document is to detail the strategy that the DOD will implement in order to safeguard companies providing national security products to the government from cyber attacks and information theft.
What specific goals has the DOD set forth to achieve this? According to the document, the DOD aims to strengthen its control over the defense industrial base’s cybersecurity infrastructure and improve the overall cybersecurity posture of the industrial base. In addition, the department seeks to enhance collaboration with the industry and bolster the industry’s resilience against cyber attacks.
Why is it important for the DOD to focus on cybersecurity in this way? The Department of Defense stated that this cybersecurity strategy aligns with the objectives outlined in the White House’s “2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy,” which was released last March. The overarching goals of this strategy include shifting the responsibility for cybersecurity from individuals and small businesses to organizations better equipped to handle such responsibilities, defending critical infrastructure, disrupting and dismantling malicious actors, and collaborating with international partners to strengthen cybersecurity efforts.
In July 2023, the White House unveiled an implementation plan to achieve the objectives laid out in the cybersecurity strategy. Significant progress has already been made, with at least 20 of the nearly 70 objectives already accomplished. The government continues to work towards completing the remaining objectives.
What other measures are being taken to protect the U.S. defense industry? Last year, the DOD released a “National Defense Industrial Strategy” which focuses on creating more resilient supply chains, enhancing workforce development programs, maintaining cutting-edge battlefield hardware with reduced costs and development times, and ensuring that U.S. defense manufacturers can compete effectively in the global market.
For more in-depth information on this topic, you can listen to a report in the archives of The World and Everything in It podcast discussing the United States’ efforts to safeguard the manufacturing industry for semiconductor chips used in advanced warfare systems.