Cybersecurity Recommendations for Confronting the Army's Industrial Internet of Things Challenges

Abstract

Recently, the U.S. has seen an evolution in attacks on critical infrastructure, where attackers have been able to exploit vulnerabilities in information technology systems to gain access to operational technologies (OT) and cause damaging and disruptive effects to the physical systems themselves (Lehto, 2022). With the pedal to the metal on updating decades-old equipment to operate in the age of the internet, the nation must consider quick and effective methods to better secure that equipment. The Army should be heavily invested in this process for multiple reasons, including its role in Defense support of civil authorities and responsibility to various critical infrastructure sectors reliant on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Here, at the Army Cyber Institute (ACI), we are spearheading research and practice for the protection of critical infrastructure with an emphasis on critical infrastructure resilience (Fontes, 2020). As we explore ways to do this, it has become apparent that the most immediate and effective way for the Army to protect critical infrastructure within its control is not some new technological innovation or complex program. Rather, it is through better cybersecurity management practices that ensure Army personnel are a part of the solution, not part of the problem.