Accession Number:

AD1040939

Title:

ART OF THE POSSIBLE: SECURING AIR FORCE SPACE COMMAND MISSION SYSTEMS FOR THE WARFIGHTER

Descriptive Note:

Technical Report

Corporate Author:

AIR COMMAND AND STAFF COLL MAXWELL AFB AL MAXWELL AFB United States

Personal Author(s):

• Noonan,Timothy P.

Report Date:

2016-10-23

Pagination or Media Count:

46.0

Abstract:

This research paper uses a problemsolution framework to identify how Air Force Space Command AFSPC can integrate and improve cybersecurity for legacy and modern weapon systems to reduce the cybersecurity attack-surface. With Department of Defense DOD networks and mission systems undergoing nearly 250,000 attacks a day, AFSPC must take immediate action to thwart the attacks from adversarial nation states and non-state actors alike. While there are numerous cybersecurity concerns, or non-compliant cybersecurity controls across all weapon systems, not all non-compliant controls contribute equally to the cyber-attack surface and overall vulnerability of weapon systems. For this reason, the major contributors or key issues surrounding the current cybersecurity attack-surface have been identified as policy, defense-in-depth, threat intelligence, and the DOD mandated transition from the DOD Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation Process to Risk Management Framework RMF. Utilizing RMF and the National Institute of Standards and Technology NIST framework for improving critical infrastructure cybersecurity three alternative solutions are evaluated to identify the best option for AFSPC to systematically implement to reduce the overall cybersecurity attack-surface for its modern and legacy weapon systems.

Descriptors:

• computer security
• computer networks
• information systems
• cyberattacks
• space systems
• vulnerability
• network protocols

Subject Categories:

• Computer Systems Management and Standards
• Computer Systems

Distribution Statement:

APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE