Cyber Science and Technology

DOD PERFORMANCE FOR ALL OPERATIONS IN CYBER SPACE

 

CHALLENGE:

Cyber warfare poses a significant threat to U.S. military capabilities: determined cyber foes can threaten our global logistics network, steal our operational plans, blind our intelligence capabilities, or hinder our ability to deliver weapons on target. The frequency and sophistication of intrusions into U.S. military computers, information systems, and communications networks have increased significantly. Dominance across the full spectrum of operations within the cyberspace warfighting domain is essential if U.S. forces are to maintain a strategic advantage.

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ASD(R&E) FOCUS:

Critical to achieving cyber warfare dominance is mission assurance, the ability to ensure the successful completion of military objectives while operating in a contested cyber-environment with sophisticated adversaries. The original information infrastructure, despite security enhancements, was designed for a benign environment. Currently, cyber operations decisions must be made based on general and static assessments of risk, which do not accurately reflect missions or adversaries in real time. In addition, segregation of computer network defenses from the full spectrum of computer network operations limits alternative courses of action and effectiveness

These challenges require accelerated research in three areas:

• Mission assurance and effectiveness;
• Operating securely in an insecure world;
• Reinventing cyber technology foundations.

Success in the above areas will mean a sharp increase in the amount of work an adversary must expend to disrupt mission-relevant cyber resources as well as reduce the time to recover from a cyber attack and achieve normal operation.