"DoD Must Expand Its Mission-Critical Cybersecurity Focus to Include Connected Weapons"
The 2020 Association of the United States Army (AUSA) Annual Meeting and Exposition presented various systems that will be available to the nation's military, many of which will be smart, connected weapons. The expected battlefield advantages offered by these systems are accompanied by cybersecurity risks. According to a report released by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) about two years ago, security researchers at the Department of Defense (DoD) were able to gain access to almost all major weapons systems currently in use or development. The results from this analysis call on the Pentagon and the private sector to enhance security for connected weapons. This article continues to discuss the issues highlighted by the GAO's 2018 report, gaps in the security of connected weapons, and the importance of protecting our modern defense system from cyberattacks.