Defending military assets from attacks generated through the digital cyber domain means that traditional battle domains—air, land, sea and space—now have a fifth operational category, cyber space. The Strategy Analytics Advanced Defense Systems (ADS) service report, “Defending the Fifth Domain,” looks at a range of issues including the move toward net centricity in military operations operating in the cyber domain.
There are many aspects to cyber security and defending this fifth domain is only going to become more crucial, as military platforms and systems increasingly adopt net-centricity as a central tenet of operation. The multidimensional nature of this problem requires a range of capabilities and technologies.
“Talking with industry players such as 3eTI, the conclusion is that net centricity is simply the continuing evolution of military operations in the IP domain. Cyber-security will need to be woven into devices and networks from the outset,” says Asif Anwar, Director of the ADS service. “There will be a convergence of physical/RF and cyber exploits; and thus, cyber security will become a mainstay even as budget constraints impact other aspects of a program.”
“There are specialty companies that focus on specific elements, as well as solution providers like General Dynamics and 3eTI,” observed Eric Higham, ADS Service Director North America. “Larger defense contractors, such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and Thales, are also working hard to evolve their net centric capabilities.”
Other issues covered in this Strategy Analytics report, “Defending the Fifth Domain,” include:
- IPv6 readiness
- Linking future cyber requirements with electronic warfare
- Identifying the core requirements for companies to be successful.