Pentagon aims to secure defence suppliers
By Paul Smithson
26/09/2011
The Department of Homeland Security in the US has indicated that it will extend the cyber defence of its primary suppliers, having admitted the scale of the threat facing the Pentagon.
A trial programme involving at least 20 companies is being piloted after analysts recorded a growing number of cases in which potentially vital data has been mishandled, reported the Associated Press.
The scheme, which looks set to be expanded over the coming months, sees the US government working alongside in-house professionals at the firms in question, who might other wise be tasked with handling IT systems management software arrangements.
"Cyber actually can bring us to our knees," revealed Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In his view, there may come a time when a governing structure is required to monitor and limit cyber threats.
The government is keen to extend its supervision of cyber threats to companies in the financial, utilities and other corporate markets, but it seems likely that additional congressional powers would be required to make this happen.
In terms of the US's embassies abroad, the Wall Street Journal noted that the country's security issues mirror that of multinational corporations, since the systems are being operated in a huge number of time zones and distinct circumstances.
The State Department's pioneering approach to tackling this challenge has seen major companies such as Microsoft, JP Morgan Chase and General Electric come calling to learn more about their methods.
