Military cybersecurity strategies have developed in the last decade. General Paul Nakasone, Commander of United States Cyber Command and Director of the National Security Agency recently shared his perspectives on how to approach cyberspace in Foreign Affairs magazine.
Employing Proactive Cybersecurity Approaches
Cyber Command was established in 2010 to protect military operations networks from cyber attacks. Since that time the organization has moved away from reactive strategies to provide information security to the Department of Defense. It has moved beyond securing network perimeters to actively hunting for malware. As a result, the agency’s protection teams have developed the ability to detect quarantine and eject intruders from its networks.
Zero Trust Cyber Strategy
Cyber Command utilizes a zero trust approach to cyber security. This approach is widely embraced in the cyber security community. Zero trust architecture secures data by inspecting all network traffic. It works on an assumption that all connections to the network are hostile.
As General Nakasone stated “We aim to prevent toeholds from turning into beachheads so that a single compromise will not threaten the military’s ability to accomplish its mission.”
Cultivating an Accountability Mindset
An accountability mindset is being promoted among military commanders. This mindset treats military cybersecurity strategies as an essential requirement and not an afterthought. Because of this, leadership must now consider cybersecurity as a mission-critical component in any undertaking. This “command-centric” perspective gives commanders improved comprehension of threats and necessary measures to counter them.
Lessons to be Learned From Military Cybersecurity Strategies
Much can be learned by businesses from studying military cybersecurity strategies. The private sector is under increased threats by actors who seek to compromise data and endanger critical infrastructure. Many military cyber strategies are beyond the scope of business enterprises. However, much can be accomplished by maintaining a proactive cyber security stance.
Accountable management in cyber security requirements , maintaining vigilant detection and response, and employing zero trust strategies are all effective measures.
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