Defense official: Cyberattacks ‘pervasive’ against US weapons

Cybersecurity should be a leading concern for the Pentagon as it acquires new weapons given the “pervasive” threat from hackers against military assets, a top defense official said Thursday.

Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition Frank Kendall said he is making cybersecurity a component of the Pentagon’s purchasing guidelines, as well as adding it to his “Better Buying Power” cost-saving initiative.

Defense officials have described U.S. weapons systems as seriously vulnerable to cyberattacks, given the messy state of their software.

{mosads}“It’s about the security of our weapons systems themselves and everything that touches them. It’s a pervasive problem and I think we have to pay a lot more attention to it,” Kendall told Reuters in Washington, D.C., on Thursday.

He said his latest version of “Better Buying Power,” including the section on cybersecurity, would be released this month.

U.S. government agencies are taking a hard look at their computer hardware and software given the escalating threat from hackers. The Pentagon, along with other departments, is under constant siege online from users seeking to disrupt its activities or discover military secrets.

National Security Agency Director Adm. Mike Rogers broached the topic with lawmakers on Wednesday. In an exchange with Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.), he acknowledged that using hardware and software manufactured abroad comes with an “aspect of risk,” such as prepackaged malware.

“More domestic manufacture … Within the department, we try to take a look at that,” said Rogers, the head of the U.S. Cyber Command.