The head of Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), who has called cybersecurity a high priority, said his organization has stepped up its efforts to make Navy ships less vulnerable to cyber threats.
Vice Adm. Thomas Moore, who became NAVSEA commander almost five months ago, meets regularly with a “cyber council” to scrutinize the security of major combat and control systems aboard ships.
“We have, in some cases, already developed what we call engineering change proposals to kind of separate those systems out,” Moore said during a media roundtable Nov. 2. “The buzz word is you create an enclave or wall to separate those systems out from the outside world.”
NAVSEA is also working with the fleet to develop “disconnect procedures” that a ship can use in case an enclave and other measures do not fully protect a system during battle.
“Most of the systems today [on] ships are very redundant and we don’t rely on one particular system,” Moore told reporters. “So while we would prefer not to disconnect these systems, we can do that if necessary in order to help the fleet fight through these.”
Disconnecting is seen only as a last resort because the Navy’s ability to share data among systems, ships and aircraft gives the service an advantage over potential adversaries.
“Pulling the plug on that is the last option that we want to do,” Moore said. “We need to be able to learn to fight through that and maintain that capability because it is a real game-changer for us going forward.”
Moore has called cybersecurity one of his top three priorities, along with ensuring the on-time delivery of ships and submarines and creating a culture of affordability.