CHAPEL HILL – With concerns mounting over cyber vulnerabilities to U.S. weapons systems, the director of the National Security Agency acknowledged today that it’s a “transformational moment” for the nation’s strategy in cyberspace.
Speaking at the Southeast Region Cyber Security & Technology Symposium in Chapel Hill, NSA Director General Paul M. Nakasone said the government “certainly recognizes that [it] has been, and must take, much newer and better efforts.”
“For years, we’ve been under operational restraint, holding forces in reserve, or responding after the fact to intrusions within our networks, our data systems, and for certain our weapons systems,” he told the 150-strong crowd gathered at the Friday Center on Thursday morning. Nakasone arrived ahead of Hurricane Michael’s imminent arrival to speak at the event, his address being moved up to early morning.
“We understand the threat, and we certainly understand the operating environment. Adversaries today – and what we’ve seen for a number of years – are achieving strategic advantage against the US and allies by operating continuously below the level of armed conflict.”
GAO warns about weapons systems vulnerability
Nakasone arrived ahead of Hurricane Michael’s imminent arrival to speak at the event, his address being moved up to early morning.
His comments come just days after it was revealed that “nearly all” the weapons systems that were developed by the US military from 2012 to 2017 are vulnerable to cyber attack, according to a new report by the Government Accountability Office.
Nakasone, who holds the “dual-hat” position leading the NSA and the military’s cyber warfare division, CYBERCOM, never addressed the findings in his remarks. Nor did he name outright exactly who “our adversaries” are, or the alleged Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. elections.
Instead, he spoke in more general terms about the quickly changing cyper-scape and, in particular, the impact that the imminent arrival of fifth generation (5G) of wireless broadband technology will have on the nation.
Watchdog: ‘Nearly all’ new US weapons systems vulnerable to cyber attacks
“When CYBERCOM began operations in 2010, exploitation and disruption were the major cyber threats that we faced. Nations had growing capabilities but for the most part, the U.S. enjoyed general superiority across all realms of cyberspace,” he said.
“Today, however, surprisingly capable adversaries operate continuously against our critical infrastructure, government networks, defense industries and academia, both in America and abroad. Threats have moved well beyond the exploitation and disruption campaigns.”
In light of this, he offered a three-pronged response: “persistent engagement, persistent presence, and persistent innovation.”
“The US must act in order to reset expectations of our adversaries emboldened by our prior restraint, and we are pivoting to a new engagement,” he said.
“Advantage goes to the side that innovates fastest. Truly here in cyberspace, the fast will beat the slow, and we must continue to leverage all the strengths of our partnerships – allies, inner agencies, academia, private industry.”
Shortly after his remarks, he left the auditorium without taking any questions.
Cybersecurity concerns in NC
Meanwhile, North Carolina Department of Military & Veterans Affairs’s secretary Larry D. Hall addressed the rise of IoT and its risks to cyber security on a state level.
“It’s one of those situations where we have to innovate. We have to go forward. We know that it is the future, and we have to be prepared for it to maintain it,” he said.
North Carolina Department of Military & Veterans Affairs’s secretary Larry D. Hall addressing the 150-strong crowd at the Southeast Region Cyber Security & Technology Symposium.
In North Carolina alone, there are 120,000 uniformed personnel and six military major bases.
Part of the state’s strategy in combating cyberwarfare, he said, is attracting defense businesses to the area.
“The companies that do business with the defense department through the system worldwide – whether they’re selling to the defense department or other places – this is an ideal place for them to be. And certainly we have the defense diversification initiative where we are helping standup companies and increase their capacity to serve the defense department, provide assistance, and be partners with the large military presence in the state.
“At the end, we will all be working together to make our national security, cyber security, and what we can do to make our whole industry sector stronger and our nation stronger.”
