Information Assurance: Trends in Vulnerabilities, Threats, and Technologies - Electromagnetic Pulse Attack (EMP), Countermeasures, Warfighter Cyber Security, Network Centric Warfare

Professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction, this volume presents the results of a workshop bringing together leaders in the fields of military and commercial technology. The purpose of the meeting was to gain insight into the risks and vulnerabilities inherent in the use of information technology on the battlefield and in military systems.

Chapter 1 - Trends in Vulnerabilities: Threats, and Technologies * Chapter 2 - Physical Vulnerabilities of Critical Information Systems * Chapter 3 - Physical Vulnerabilities Exposed at the National Training Center . * Chapter 4 - Dealing with Physical Vulnerabilities * Chapter 5 - Vulnerabilities to Electromagnetic Attack of Defense Information Systems. * Chapter 6 - Vulnerabilities to Electromagnetic Attack of the Civil Infrastructure * Chapter 7 - Trends in Cyber Vulnerabilities, Threats, and Countermeasures. * Chapter 8 - Enhancing Cyber Security for the Warfighter * Chapter 9 - Complexity of Network Centric Warfare * Chapter 10 - Difficulties with Network Centric Warfare

During the last two decades of the 20th century, through a series of internal and external studies and policy pronouncements, the Department of Defense dramatically shifted its view of the nature of future military operations and the associated equipment, doctrine, tactics, and organization that were required. The names varied ("Reconnaissance/Strike Warfare," "Revolution in Military Affairs," "Network Centric Warfare," "Transformation"), but the basic premise was the same: The explosive changes in information technology would transform the future of military operations. The benefits of this change have been well documented, but its potential vulnerabilities have been less commonly described—or addressed for corrective actions. These actions must begin with a recognition of the new relationship between traditional defense systems and modern information technologies.

Traditional warfare systems are developed, ruggedized, hardened, secured, and tested to ensure the highest level of performance and availability. System development processes require configuration management and documentation processes that are maintained throughout the system life cycle. As military systems become more software intensive (in both computers and communications), greater time and cost increases occur because of increased system complexity and the lack of vigorous software processes, especially when compared with more mature, hardware-intensive engineering and development processes. For the most part, military systems are proprietary and communicate securely with little effect on performance. Current military weapons and combat platform system acquisitions have very high costs and extremely long lead times. This high expense and long preparation is attributed, in part, to the complexity of new system designs and to the rigidity of design processes that are needed to meet mission-critical battlefield requirements of high reliability, ease of maintenance, and built-in safety systems. The acquisition process itself introduces costs and delays because it must meet legal and regulatory demands designed to ensure openness and fiscal responsibility. These methods have produced formidable systems; American superiority in high-tech weapons development is acknowledged worldwide.