Using Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) to Address System Survivability in Army Weapon Systems

Abstract

A 15-year-old hacked into the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and acquired source code that runs the International Space Station, causing NASA to shut down its network for three weeks (Wilson, 2000). In a sanctioned event, a 14-year-old demonstrated he could hack into an automobiles computer and start a car. He used $15 worth of electronics he purchased the day before and built his successful hack that evening (Brantly, 2017). These are single actors with extraordinary talent, but extrapolate this to a federally supported army of talented individuals, and the capabilities they possess become exponentially frightening. China is rumored to have several divisions of cyber-hackers, and Russia places emphasis on computer and math education and is known for developing some of the most famous malware in existence (Kumar, 2015; Blau, 2004; Krebs, 2017). This study explores the use of Modular Open Systems Approach as an open architecture approach to develop and maintain cyber-resilient weapon systems. Slow and expensive are not attributes conducive to maintaining a cyber-resilient system. In the world of cybersecurity it is mandatory to respond rapidly to threats from a multitude of adversarial types, including nation states, terrorists, and rogue individuals. The DoD and the Army recognize these issues and have mandated program managers to obtain cybersecurity certifications for systems and to employ an open system architecture for weapon systems where practical. However, obtaining an Authority to Operate is a point-in-time event that is obsolete before the weapon is fielded, due to both the rapid advances in the threat technology as well as hackers ever-changing tactics. Army leadership must make program managers place focus on cybersecurity for weapon systems through the integration of open systems architecture to provide the flexibility needed to maintain system survivability against cyber threats throughout the systems entire lifecycle.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 06, 2019
Accession Number
AD1074469

Entities

People

  • Terance F Carlson

Organizations

  • Defense Acquisition University

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Cyber

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Aircrafts
  • Beta Testing
  • Computer Programming
  • Computer Programs
  • Computers
  • Control Systems
  • Cyberattacks
  • Cybersecurity
  • Department Of Homeland Security
  • Employment
  • Fighter Aircraft
  • Governments
  • Ground Control Stations
  • Load Monitoring
  • Mobile Operating Systems
  • Open System Architecture
  • Operating Systems
  • Personnel Management
  • Software Testing
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Unmanned Aerial Systems
  • Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

Fields of Study

  • Computer science

Readers

  • Cybersecurity.
  • Educational Psychology
  • Strategic Security Studies

Technology Areas

  • Cyber
  • Microelectronics
  • Space