Info-valorization of the battlefield, system of systems, predictive remote maintenance, multi-domain or cooperative engagements, all new paradigms linked to the development of computer networks and communication technologies in the armed forces. And very often, the development of these new technologies was carried out with enthusiasm and a certain haste, paying little attention to the IT risks themselves.
As CISO (Information Systems Security Manager), your mission is not to guarantee the inviolability of systems at all costs, because that is impossible. It is to slow down the progression of an intrusion long enough to be able to detect and block it before it faces too much damage, and, if necessary, to maintain the industrial and commercial activity of the group in a scenario degraded in the event of a massive and devastating attack.
According to the Government Accountability Office report, the US equivalent of the court of accounts, it is this logic which is lacking in many US Defense systems, making them very vulnerable to a computer attack carried out to block the systems. The examples of intrusion tests carried out are particularly notable, such as the taking of total control of a weapon system in a single day from a team of two professional hackers working for the audit group.
Among the systems considered very vulnerable, the ALIS of the F-35, allowing maintenance of the device and being able to prohibit its use, is singled out.
It is also interesting to note that countries like China or Russia, which have proven skills in cyber warfare, are much more parsimonious regarding connected systems on the battlefield, even though they have developed a significant offensive arsenal in this area.
The last 20 years of “low intensity” war against low-tech adversaries such as Afghanistan, Libya or Syria have probably generated a feeling of false security in terms of electronic and cyber warfare among Western militaries, explaining the decline in vigilance. in this area, and the excessive enthusiasm for connected systems. It will likely be necessary to reassess the systems and architectures of many devices, such as procedures for combating internal and external cyber attacks, and degraded mode procedures, to consolidate these technologies and make them resilient.
The map, compass and stopwatch will remain essential tools for many soldiers for a long time to come...