Department Of Defense Wants To Enlist Private Sector For Cyber Defense

SAN FRANCISCO — The Defense Department, faced with defending not only its own networks but ensuring the security of the privately owned infrastructure on which the military increasingly depends, is expanding its efforts to tap the private-sector expertise that it needs, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III said Tuesday.

“The government cannot secure our networks alone,” Lynn said. “It’s going to take a public/private partnership.”

Lynn, speaking at the annual RSA Security Conference, said DOD is investing $500,000 in new research with industry on network security, and will provide seed funding for companies to accelerate the development of needed technology.


Related coverage:

Cyber war dominates the landscape at RSA conference

Public-private effort on cybersecurity needs a push from Congress


But getting new technology into DOD systems also is a challenge. Lynn said that it takes the department an average of 81 months to implement a new IT system, which is completely out of line with the pace of development and introduction in the commercial sector. He noted that the development time for Apple’s iPod was just 24 months. To improve development, he said the department will expand its Technology Exchange Program, now in a pilot phase, in which private-sector employees will work inside DOD, and DOD workers will be loaned to companies.

DOD workers can learn greater efficiency from the private sector, and the companies need to understand the challenges faced by the military in implementing new technologies, Lynn said.

Finally, DOD will make better use of National Guard and reserve personnel, whose primary jobs are in the private sector. More of these units will have a dedicated cybersecurity mission, he said.

The need to cooperate and establish public/private partnerships has been a theme of government speakers at this year’s conference, now in its 20th year and one of the premier venues for the computer security industry to discuss challenges and showcase solutions.

The need for improved cybersecurity was made disturbingly clear in 2008 by the penetration of classified DOD systems by a foreign intelligence agency through malware loaded on a removable thumb drive.

“It was our worst fear,” Lynn said. Since that time, threats have continued to multiply and mature. The latest evolution is the development of malware that can do physical damage. “This development, which marks a strategic shift in cyber threats, is only just emerging,” he said.

He did not mention Stuxnet, the worm that apparently targeted Iranian nuclear facilities, but he said the threats do exist in the wild and it has to be assumed that they will be used. “Few weapons in the history of warfare have not been used,” he said.

Although nation states are most likely to have the resources and expertise to develop serious weapons, they are the least likely to use them because of the threat of retaliation, Lynn said.

“More than 100 intelligence agencies have attempted intrusions on our networks,” but the threat from them of cyberwarfare remains small. “The threat to them is too great; our military strength is too great.”

The more serious threat is from the accidental release of malicious code, or its use by terrorists, he said. They do not appear so far to have access to weaponized malware, but that could change. “We have to assume if they have the means to strike, they will do so.”

A new DOD cyberstrategy, called Cyber 3.0, is in the final stages of review, Lynn said. It will emphasize the use of active defenses, which are being deployed in military networks.

One serious challenge remaining in improving military cybersecurity is the exchange of information and sophisticated defense technologies with the private sector. DOD has a lot of information about threats and is developing defenses to counter them, but is not sharing much of that information, Lynn said.

 “We have the technology and the know-how to deploy it in a civilian context,” he said. What is lacking so far is the will and the policy to do it.

About the Author

William Jackson is a Maryland-based freelance writer.

Featured

  • New Report Reveals Top Trends Transforming Access Controller Technology

    Mercury Security, a provider in access control hardware and open platform solutions, has published its Trends in Access Controllers Report, based on a survey of over 450 security professionals across North America and Europe. The findings highlight the controller’s vital role in a physical access control system (PACS), where the device not only enforces access policies but also connects with readers to verify user credentials—ranging from ID badges to biometrics and mobile identities. With 72% of respondents identifying the controller as a critical or important factor in PACS design, the report underscores how the choice of controller platform has become a strategic decision for today’s security leaders. Read Now

  • Overwhelming Majority of CISOs Anticipate Surge in Cyber Attacks Over the Next Three Years

    An overwhelming 98% of chief information security officers (CISOs) expect a surge in cyber attacks over the next three years as organizations face an increasingly complex and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven digital threat landscape. This is according to new research conducted among 300 CISOs, chief information officers (CIOs), and senior IT professionals by CSC1, the leading provider of enterprise-class domain and domain name system (DNS) security. Read Now

  • ASIS International Introduces New ANSI-Approved Investigations Standard

    • Guard Services
  • Cloud Security Alliance Brings AI-Assisted Auditing to Cloud Computing

    The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining standards, certifications, and best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today introduced an innovative addition to its suite of Security, Trust, Assurance and Risk (STAR) Registry assessments with the launch of Valid-AI-ted, an AI-powered, automated validation system. The new tool provides an automated quality check of assurance information of STAR Level 1 self-assessments using state-of-the-art LLM technology. Read Now

  • Report: Nearly 1 in 5 Healthcare Leaders Say Cyberattacks Have Impacted Patient Care

    Omega Systems, a provider of managed IT and security services, today released new research that reveals the growing impact of cybersecurity challenges on leading healthcare organizations and patient safety. According to the 2025 Healthcare IT Landscape Report, 19% of healthcare leaders say a cyberattack has already disrupted patient care, and more than half (52%) believe a fatal cyber-related incident is inevitable within the next five years. Read Now

New Products

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.

  • Mobile Safe Shield

    Mobile Safe Shield

    SafeWood Designs, Inc., a manufacturer of patented bullet resistant products, is excited to announce the launch of the Mobile Safe Shield. The Mobile Safe Shield is a moveable bullet resistant shield that provides protection in the event of an assailant and supplies cover in the event of an active shooter. With a heavy-duty steel frame, quality castor wheels, and bullet resistant core, the Mobile Safe Shield is a perfect addition to any guard station, security desks, courthouses, police stations, schools, office spaces and more. The Mobile Safe Shield is incredibly customizable. Bullet resistant materials are available in UL 752 Levels 1 through 8 and include glass, white board, tack board, veneer, and plastic laminate. Flexibility in bullet resistant materials allows for the Mobile Safe Shield to blend more with current interior décor for a seamless design aesthetic. Optional custom paint colors are also available for the steel frame.

  • QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC)

    The latest Qualcomm® Vision Intelligence Platform offers next-generation smart camera IoT solutions to improve safety and security across enterprises, cities and spaces. The Vision Intelligence Platform was expanded in March 2022 with the introduction of the QCS7230 System-on-Chip (SoC), which delivers superior artificial intelligence (AI) inferencing at the edge.