Pentagon Seeking Assistance from Computer Hackers

March 11th, 2016

Awake Goy

Qualified participants will help the Pentagon find security weaknesses in its computer programs.

Friendly hackers have been used for years by Silicon Valley Technology firms, but it will be a “first” for the federal government when the Pentagon begins using them in April, 2016. Hackers are people who are highly skilled in computer technology and/or programming and who can get around security measures to break into networks, files, and such; they are useful in uncovering weaknesses in an organization’s computer defenses.

“I am always challenging our people to think outside the five-sided box that is the Pentagon,” said Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter. “Inviting responsible hackers to test our cybersecurity certainly meets that test.”

The program, called “Hack the Pentagon”, is modeled after similar ones in the nation’s biggest companies. Would-be participants must be U.S citizens; they will first register and undergo a background check. They will then take part in a controlled program of limited duration that will allow them to identify weaknesses in applications, websites and networks in a previously determined department system. The Pentagon’s “critical, mission-facing systems” will not be a part of the program. Nor will the websites have any personal employee data on them. Participants will get some kind of reward.

According to a list published by the Department of Defense, it currently manages 488 websites. Three years ago, the Pentagon revealed that China had conducted numerous cyberattacks against U.S. diplomatic, economic and defense industry networks. Almost a year ago the Office of Personnel Management revealed that the private information of over 20 million government workers had been stolen in a massive security breach. Officials say Defense Department systems get probed and attacked millions of times a day.

Secretary Carter said you’d much rather have the vulnerabilities in your networks found by friendly hackers than by malicious hackers who steal information or compromise the system. “I am confident this innovative initiative will strengthen our digital defenses and ultimately enhance our national security,” said Carter.