DoD to Tighten Defense Contractor Cybersecurity Standards

The Department of Defense has recently tightened cybersecurity rules for its defense contractors. These contractors will have to maintain a security standard set by the DoD when handling sensitive military information. This is a step in the right direction for our nation’s military. It’s about time we prioritize cybersecurity and realize that it’s becoming one of the most important fields of defense for us to focus on. The current threats to America do not involve symmetrical warfare. The executive branch does not need to allocate hundreds of billions of dollars to aircraft that will never come face to face with a threat that is anywhere close to being on the same level of technological capability. I understand that it is important to maintain an advanced fleet and be prepared for any possibilities for the future but the amount of money we spend on new hardware is ridiculous. Meanwhile, cybersecurity is one of the most pressing threats right now and it only gets only a sliver of the defense budget. The Department of Defense functions for just that purpose, defense. So why not focus on the current threat of cyber-attacks on America? As of now the only direct attacks on the US occur online. Hackers from China and other areas are reported to be stealing important corporate and military secrets. It’s the White House’s responsibility, as well as the responsibility of DoD, to address these attacks and prepare tools to prevent them. We need to focus on attacks that are happening right now and give this issue the attention it deserves.