A bipartisan pair of lawmakers introduced legislation June 18 that would direct the Department of Defense to implement several measures to improve 5G security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reps. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., and Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wisc., introduced the DoD 5G Act, which would direct the Pentagon to take several measures to identify and remediate known vulnerabilities in the department\u2019s telecommunications infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAs the U.S. continues to invest in disruptive new technologies, such as 5G, it is critical the Department of Defense identify risks and vulnerabilities in its telecommunications infrastructure,\u201d said Larsen, a member of the House Armed Services Committee. \u201cThe DoD 5G Act ensures the DoD assesses and mitigates these risks as the department moves forward with implementation of 5G technology.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Under the legislation, the defense secretary would have to \u201cdevelop a capability to communicate clearly and authoritatively about threats by foreign actors\u201d to the DoD telecommunications infrastructure. The Pentagon would also have to conduct red team security testing on \u201csystems, subsystems, devices, and components\u201d departmentwide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Several requirements stem from a June 2019 report on DoD 5G networks from the Defense Science Board. That report listed 10 key recommendations on a broad range of 5G issues for the department, ranging from security to quick deployment of specific 5G waveforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The bill also would require Cyber Command and the Defense Information Systems Agency to monitor DoD networks for 5G data and ensure the \u201cavailability, confidentiality, and integrity of Department of Defense communications systems.\u201d The DoD chief information officer\u2019s team would also be required to use the moderate or high cloud security baselines set by the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program \u2014 which authorizes cloud tools for use in the federal government \u2014 to assess the viability of services from 5G core service providers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWith the promise of 5G also comes greater risk,\u201d Gallagher, a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. \u201cAs the Pentagon develops advanced telecommunications capabilities, it should set a clear standard and expectation across the federal government for security and resiliency, from the supply chain on up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n