The U.S. Defense Department is building a massive, electronic system to provide an overview of the vulnerabilities of the military’s computer networks, weapons systems, and installations, and help officials prioritize how to fix them, the deputy commander of U.S. Cyber Command said on Thursday.
Air Force Lieutenant General Kevin McLaughlin told Reuters officials should reach agreement on a framework within months, with a goal of turning the system into an automated “scorecard” in coming years.
The effort, being led by the Pentagon’s chief information officer, grew out of a critical report about cyber threats released earlier this year by the Pentagon’s chief weapons tester, and escalating cyber attacks by China and Russia.
The report by Michael Gilmore, the Pentagon’s director of testing and evaluation, warned that nearly every major U.S. weapons system was vulnerable to cyber attacks.
View full story