Flags raised over vulnerabilities of military equipment to cyber attacks

OTTAWA — A top U.S. Defense Department official says her country is working on cyber weaknesses in its vast array of military equipment — and will shut down anything that isn’t brought up to standards.

The comments today by Ellen Lord, the U.S. undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, raise the question: What is Canada doing to protect its own military equipment from cyber attacks?

Troy Crosby, who oversees procurement at the Canada’s Department of National Defence, says officials are seized with protecting new Canadian military aircraft, warships and other equipment from potential attacks.

He also says the government will not ignore any potential weaknesses or vulnerabilities.

Yet Crosby, who appeared on a panel with Lord at a defence conference in Ottawa today, could not say whether Canada has conducted a detailed audit the way the U.S. has and acknowledged the Americans are likely farther along in addressing the problem.

Lord and Crosby nonetheless say Canada and the U.S. are working closely in setting standards and sharing information to fix problems in their existing military equipment and prevent vulnerabilities in new kit.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 5, 2020.

The Canadian Press