Hack the Pentagon (Reuters): The Pentagon said on Wednesday it was seeking outside hackers to test the security of some public Defense Department websites in a pilot program, the first of its kind by the federal government.
“Hack the Pentagon” is a prize competition for people who can breach security. Such competitions are usually held by large US companies that want to discover loopholes in the security of their networks.
These programs allow cyber experts to find and fix problems before malicious hackers discover them, saving time and money in the event of a damaging breach.
“I am confident that this innovative initiative will strengthen our digital defenses and ultimately enhance our national security,” Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in the statement announcing the pilot program.
Details and rules have not yet been announced, but the competition could include cash prizes, the Pentagon said.
The Pentagon has long tested the security of its networks with internal red teams, but the Hack the Pentagon initiative will open up at least part of the department's vast network of IT systems to cyber challenges across the security industry and academia.
Participants must be U.S. citizens and must register and submit a background check before they can start hacking into public computers, the Pentagon said. Sensitive networks or weapons programs will not be included, at least initially.
"The goal is not to compromise any aspect of our critical systems, but to challenge our cybersecurity in a new and innovative way," the official said.
The initiative is led by the Pentagon's Digital Defense Service (DDS), which was established last November to bring experts from the US technology industry to the military for short-term assignments.
