(Adds quotes, details on program, background)
By Jim Wolf
WASHINGTON, May 11 (Reuters) – The U.S. Defense Department
on Friday invited all of its eligible contractors to join in an
expanded information-sharing pact aimed at guarding sensitive
information about Pentagon programs stored on private computer
networks.
Greater information-sharing between the Pentagon and the
so-called defense industrial base is an important step to catch
up with “widespread” cyber threats to U.S. national security,
Ashton Carter, the deputy defense secretary, said in a
statement.
“Increased dependence on Internet solutions have exposed
sensitive but unclassified information stored on corporate
systems to malicious probes, theft, and attacks,” he said.
The public-private partnership, following a restricted,
year-long pilot program that involved fewer than 40 defense
contractors, “will help reduce the risk of intrusions on our
systems,” Carter said.
The Pentagon will give participating companies unclassified
“indicators” and classified “contextual information” as well as
suggested measures to meet cyber threats under the two-way
program.
The companies, for their part, are to report efforts to
break into their networks “and may participate in government
damage assessments if needed,” according to a Pentagon document
about efforts to shore up contractors’ network security.
(Reporting By Jim Wolf; Editing by Gerald E. McCormick and
Steve Orlofsky)
