US weapons systems vulnerable to cyber attacks: Pentagon memo
US weapons systems are vulnerable to cyber attacks but there is a shortfall in skilled personnel to boost defenses at the military, a Pentagon memo shows.
Members of Congress are anxious that the US military is facing a shortage of so-called red team operators—experts who specialize in simulating attacks and techniques used by a potential enemy, The Daily Beast reported on Wednesday.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers relayed the concern to Defense Secretary Ashton Carter on Wednesday, urging him to intervene. They said the military’s computer and weapons networks have come under increasing attack in recent months.
One reason for the current shortfall in operators to work on red teams at the Pentagon is because people with such level of expertise are being lured by private companies that offer bigger paychecks.
A Pentagon memo, obtained by The Daily Beast, shows that several red team members have left the US military for better paying jobs over the past three years, and those who have stayed “are not keeping pace” with adversaries.
“This trend must be reversed if the DoD [Department of Defense] is to retain the ability to effectively assess DoD systems and train service members against realistic cyber threats,” Major Adrian Rankine-Galloway, a spokesman for the Pentagon's operational test and evaluation office, told the news website.
One former US intelligence officer, who headed a red team, said he was earning more than $300,000 a year – more than triple his military salary - to help improve cyber defenses at a US bank.
The Pentagon currently has about 50 red team operators to test military systems and weapons—one third of what it needs, according to the memo.
"As the number and severity of the cyber threats against the United States continues to mount, realistic cyber testing must become a critical priority that cannot be accomplished without adequate and skilled personnel to do the testing," Rep. Jackie Speier, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, and 25 other lawmakers wrote to Carter, in a letter obtained by The Daily Beast.
"We strongly urge you to adopt enhanced measures to attract, train, and retain such personnel," she said.
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