Unleashing the Dogs of [Cyber] War

Presented at THOTCON 0x8 (2017), May 5, 2017, 1 p.m. (25 minutes)

What role will the digital realm play on the kinetic battlegrounds of future war? Without constraints what would be possible should we find ourselves in a hybrid war with a near-peer adversary? We need a way to penetration test our forces, both combat and cyber, but outside the limitations of today's operating constraints in a ""sandbox"" location. Our enemies do this and are prepared to operate autonomously at the speed of information in the real world. Training against enemies like this is ongoing now at the nation's Combat Training Centers. This talk will explore what happens when pen testing is combined with fierce ground combat (aka death and destruction). This is the story about remote training areas where tens of thousands of Army Soldiers rotate through every year staging massive force-on-force battles with tanks, aircrafts, and missiles; where Soldiers practice the current fight and prepare for the next. We will share how a dedicated group of individuals are changing the military's view of electronic and information warfare one battle at a time through the role of "OPFOR" or opposing forces. Using many of the same concepts that you employ: phishing, blackmail, network reconnaissance, physical security penetration testing, denial of service, and general information mayhem. Unconstrained by law, Geneva Convention, complex approval requests, and chain of command, what could our enemies possibly do to the detriment of our troops engaged in ground combat? We decided to find out. We will talk about our role as the "bad guys" and how we are weaving in elements of electronic and information warfare into the fight. Information is a powerful ally, and those able to wield it quickly, and effectively often gain tactical advantage. Help us provide this tactical advantage to our Soldiers on the battlefield of tomorrow with your ideas today.


Presenters:

  • Erick Waage
    Natalie Vanatta & Erick Waage are security researchers with the Army Cyber Institute exploring future digital challenges facing the Nation.
  • Natalie Vanatta
    Natalie Vanatta & Erick Waage are security researchers with the Army Cyber Institute exploring future digital challenges facing the Nation.

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