Sustained efforts to develop and implement initiatives to address weapon system cybersecurity challenges are needed to update the Defense Department’s understanding of how to build more secure military tools, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.
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A GAO report posted Tuesday said military capabilities are vulnerable to cyberattacks, with vulnerability testers able to hack into systems and infiltrate networks without being detected during an operational assessment. The agency is studying the state of the Pentagon’s arsenal to identify cyber weaknesses in current weapon systems, as well as assessing the DoD’s initiatives to obtain cybersecurity readiness.Â
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Weapon system cybersecurity can be compromised by simple issues such as poor password management or lack of encryption, the agency reported. The GAO also said that cybersecurity modernization is hampered by the government’s difficulty recruiting enough cyber professionals.
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The DoD plans on investing around $1.66T to overhaul its armory system.
