Department of the Air Force Eyes CROWS Cyber Focus Teams Expansion

The Department of the Air Force’s Cyber Resiliency Office for Weapon Systems is planning to expand its Cyber Focus Teams.

The DAF currently has CFT members at multiple locations, including  Hanscom Air Force Base, Wright-Patterson AFB and Hill AFB. The teams are tasked with integrating cyber resiliency into weapon systems and mitigating vulnerabilities.

To integrate cybersecurity into systems, officials have to include language in contracts that would address cybersecurity, resiliency and survivability of weapon systems, the Air Force Materiel Command said.

CROWS Director Joe Bradley said CFTs could be expanded into the U.S. Space Force‘s acquisition programs. Doing so is part of the department’s goal to develop a holistic approach to weapon systems security, Bradley stated.

According to Lt. Col. Zach Lehmann, the materiel leader of the CROWS team, having more CFTs would improve the department’s acquisition culture because officials could integrate cyber capabilities and security engineering requirements into each phase of tech acquisitions.

The CROWS team is also planning to release the DAF Systems Security Engineering Guidebook version 5.0 to the public. The guidebook helps systems engineering and systems security engineering offices optimize their work by outlining a single workflow process that integrates protections and activities into traditional systems engineering.

Version 5.0 contains new updates and additional information on cyber survivability and operational resiliency.