Pentagon Eyes Red Teaming to Check Network Security of Commercial Cloud Providers

The Department of Defense intends to take an active defense stance when it comes to keeping its commercial cloud networks secure by checking internal security, scanning internet protocol addresses and red teaming to look for vulnerabilities on various systems. Recent cybersecurity incidents have kept the DOD on a high alert despite the rigorous security checks and threat assessments undergone by selected cloud service providers, FCW reported.

Defense Department Acting Principal Deputy Chief Information Officer David McKeown said during the recent AFCEA TechNet Cyber conference that the companies that received contracts to support the department’s Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability are receptive to red teaming and providing more visibility.

While data leaks and similar incidents have made the Pentagon more cautious about allowing commercial cloud service infrastructure to hold sensitive data, the agency acknowledges that it has not done a much better job when it comes to cybersecurity as shown by the more than 12,000 cyber incidents it has experienced since 2015, according to a report by the Government Accountability Office.