Every year, Microsoft releases a Defense Report about the primary security threats to defense contractors tracked in the previous year. These reports cover which actors on the world stage have been responsible for a variety of cyber attacks.
The 2023 report shows that China, Russia, and Iran have ramped up attacks and spread into new regions. Policymaking and enforcement organizations are targeted increasingly. The top three most-targeted nations are the United States, Ukraine, and Israel.
Russia and China increase spying operations across the globe to gather information on key structures and processes. This means American defense contractors might be unaware of the extent of a breach until it’s too late. These attacks can result in the loss of critical information or major disruption of operations.
Defense Against Zero-Day Attacks
One of the more common security threats to defense contractors that foreign state actors employ is called a zero-day. This method of attack exploits software vulnerabilities, allowing attackers to gain access. Consequently, malicious actors can bide their time inside networks and systems, waiting until the perfect time to attack.
In January of 2024, attackers targeted Ivanti with a series of zero-day attacks. Ivanti’s tools manage hardware, software, and security patching. In light of the breach, defense contractors across the nation reassessed their vulnerabilities.
Protecting Against Digital Attacks
In September 2023, attackers in China targeted the U.S. Department of Defense resulting in the theft of more than 60,000 emails. During this incident, attackers stole an unknown amount of other data. Because of this, the Federal Government moved to change the structure of Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) two months later. These adjustments clearly defined the DFARS compliance structure to ensure careful implementation and monitoring of the regulation.
This new motivation to protect our national defense from malicious foreign actors has materialized in the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) 2.0. For defense contractors on the ground who are doing work that sustains our military and foreign affairs governmental structures, this might feel like a massive imposition with minimal support or accommodation. The Federal Government recognizes an existential threat in this trend of events.
Defense contractors must rise to the occasion and take the new guidelines extremely seriously. Each part of the nation’s defense structure must be strong and secure to protect the whole from existential threats to our way of life.
To learn more about how Mission Compliant can help you defend against security threats to defense contractors before you hit Zero Day, contact us right away.
