Self-securing Weapons, Systems, and Networks
Abstract
The pervasive nature of software-reliant systems in today’s modern military creates new opportunities for sophisticated adversaries. The vast majority of DoD weapons systems, platforms, and networks rely on software to operate. Software can often be disrupted remotely, which necessitates a new kind of security to protect against cyber-attacks. Defending the software- and network-based aspects of critical weapon systems is challenging for a number of reasons, chief among which is the advanced nature of the adversary in the cyber realm. We can expect future cyber adversaries to be well-funded, well-informed, and agile. Building weapon systems, platforms, and networks that can defend themselves in real time will be vital in protecting ourselves against this adversary. We need systems that can autonomously monitor and manage their own health and security posture through advanced sensing and perception, reasoning, and planning. Such systems could identify and classify threats much more quickly than a human operator, and therefore, able to neutralize the threat more quickly and effectively. However, researchers must be cognizant of the potential unintended consequences of turning security over to autonomous systems. Verification techniques must be developed to ensure that autonomous and dynamic system changes maintain correct mission-focused capabilities without introducing unintended vulnerabilities. Conversely, developing techniques to track and audit actions taken by autonomous systems is crucial to ensure that direct control can be reasserted, potentially reversing some actions, if necessary.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2018
- Source ID
- 85e73fd26c52eefa50f2aca2066729d5
Related Documents
- Root: Cyber Security Research