Cybersecurity: Pentagon Is Building a System That Instantly Detects Security Breaches

The United States Department of Defense wants to be able to combat cyberattacks before hackers get the chance to steal sensitive files and employees' data, as well as access the country's weapons systems.

The only way the Pentagon can do that is to be more proactive in dealing with its computers' and networks' vulnerabilities. That's why it's building an electronic system that can help them prioritize those flaws, according to how much threat they pose. While data entry will initially be done by hand, the military envisions its final form as an automated system that can instantly detect infiltration attempts and notify cyber response teams to stop them before they can wreak havoc.

Numerous US government and military agencies have suffered security breaches in recent years, and a report from the Pentagon indicates that all the country's weapons systems remain susceptible to unauthorized remote access. The DoD's email network was recently infiltrated in what seemed to be an effort to collect information on military movements. A couple of American missile systems were compromised after a security breach that reportedly originated from China. Then there's that massive attack on the Office of Personnel Management, which led to the leak of millions of federal workers' social security numbers and other sensitive data. This new technology could prevent similar events from happening.

The deputy commander of US Cyber Command, Lieutenant General Kevin McLaughlin, told Reuters that military officials could agree on the framework within months. In fact, the military's already done sorting 6,200 people into half of the 133 response teams they plan to establish. It will take a while to reach its final form, but the system might be operational as soon as 2016.

Source:

Engadget