What effect will Cyber have on the Defense and Aerospace industries?

In the battlefields, skies, and defense apparatus of the future, improvements to technology will pose unique opportunities and areas for development. In this blog, we’ll take you through critical advancements in ‘cyber’ (computing, IT, and large elements of digital technology) that will improve the future of the Defense and Aerospace industries.

Greater control and security of critical systems

As our world grows more complicated, so too does the different infrastructure that supports the Defense and Aerospace industries. These power grids, communications pipelines, and command systems underpin the performance organizations and government bodies that lead the space: so their ongoing security is paramount.

The greater complexity brings increased vulnerability, both to cyber attacks and also to inefficiencies that can hamper growth and progress. Developments in cybersecurity and communication between technology can help to protect critical infrastructure by strengthening encryption, improving procedures, and preventing unauthorized data transfer.

In the ‘Stuxnet’ attack on Iranian nuclear infrastructure in 2010, supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) systems were targeted: infecting over 200,000 computers and physically degrading over 1,000 specific machines. Stuxnet is a non domain-specific computer worm, meaning that its initial use could be reengineered to attacking modern SCADA and control systems, per 2011 research by Stamatis Karnouskos. As cyber attacks grow more sophisticated, cyber systems and security need to develop in tandem.

Making the most of new technologies

Defense and aerospace organizations sit at the forefront of cutting-edge innovation. To securely launch and manage space flight, prepare national security for the future, and safeguard populations, you have to embrace and correctly manage the latest developments in technology.

Across Internet of Things (IoT) technology, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML), and improvements to autonomous systems, defense organizations are often the first to break through and embed these developments into their ways of working.

For instance, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) use a system called “Condition Based Maintenance Plus” or CBM+, a readiness initiative focused on improving weapon system availability and cost optimization across the enterprise. By improving the management of assets, the DoD have achieved reduced costs, lessened environmental impact, and enriched use of data going forward.

Employing IoT technology to track the performance of planes and aerial vehicles, for instance, can lead to much improved fuel economy and data-driven insights for planning people and material needs. Similar systems are used by the Australian Defense Force in a partnership with Myriota, a provider of low-cost IoT connectivity products. With low-cost and long battery life items, the defense apparatus in Australia can enable global connectivity and data analysis from its assets.

Greater cyber partnerships between industry and cornerstone public sector

In order to lead the future of defense and aerospace, government bodies are more regularly and readily partnering with leading companies. While this industry has a long history of collaborations and contract-based delivery, the advancements in the space have supercharged this area in recent years.

Boeing, which dominates a large part of the nearly US$3 trillion aerospace market globally, uses its experience and solutions to bolster the activities of many governments, including the US DoD. Boeing’s ‘HardwareWall’ data-transfer security system was granted certification by the National Security Agency, signalling the performance of the tool and the trust placed in the Boeing partnership. Ann Stevens, Senior Director of Maritime Undersea was quoted as saying “The certification confirms that HardwareWall is a trusted product, providing a great level of visibility during operations.”

Partnerships between market leaders and cornerstone bodies in the defense, national security, and aerospace industries keep the leaders of the pack safer, more secure, and more ready to innovate to meet their goals.

Want to learn more about innovations and improvements in the Defense and Aerospace industry? Read our latest Customer Story with the UK Ministry of Defence to find out how cross-sector innovation is delivering up to 4x the value of traditional approaches!