Cyber Resiliency of Weapon Systems-ACS

Mission — Cyber Resiliency of Weapon Systems-ACS source

This program funds activities at the Cyber Resiliency Office for Weapon Systems (CROWS). The CROWS is the sole organization tasked to enhance and enable Department of the Air Force (DAF) Program Executive Office (PEOs) and Program Management Offices (PMOs) to understand, engineer, and integrate cyber resiliency into emerging and fielded weapon systems to mitigate critical cyber-based vulnerabilities and preserve mission effectiveness in contested environments. The CROWS' mission directly aligns with the National Defense Strategy (NDS).The NDS specifically emphasizes integrated deterrence as vital to safeguarding U.S. national interests from aggression and strategic attacks by building a resilient, survivable Joint Force in the cyber domain, which requires the Department of Defense to prioritize investments in cyber defense, resilience, and the continued integration of cyber capabilities into the full spectrum of military operations. This program addresses weapon system cyber resiliency through two primary activities. The first activity is to develop systems security engineering tools, techniques, and procedures, with associated training and education, to integrate cyber expertise into the acquisition workforce. Notably this includes embedding knowledgeable personnel - aka Cyber Focus Teams - within DAF PEOs and PMOs,and equipping them with expertise and resources to enhance the cyber posture of DAF weapon systems. This activity also includes funding capabilities to enable effective sharing of classified cyber intelligence and vulnerability information across multiple acquisition programs, identifying technologies, tactics, and policies for further development, prototyping, and operational exercises to posture DAF weapon systems to counter emerging threats. Furthermore, this activity includes organization and analysis of the DAF's cyber risk and mitigations landscape to inform senior leaders and investment strategies. The second activity enables the CROWS to centralize and consolidate DAF and Department of Defense acquisition cyber needs and conduct threat-informed weapon systems solution analysis, identify and prioritize vulnerabilities, and deliver courses of action to mature the material and non-material solutions for mitigated vulnerabilities. This effort is in Budget Activity 4, Advanced Component Development and Prototypes (ACD&P), because efforts are necessary to evaluate integrated technologies, representative modes or prototype systems in a high fidelity and realistic operating environment.

Mission — Acquisition/System Security Engineering source

The Acquisition/System Security Engineering (SSE) activity encompasses several continuous efforts to support the Department of the Air Force (DAF) and Department of Defense acquisition community. First, it produces and distributes standard system security engineering and acquisition security processes, policies, and contracting language to ensure cyber requirements are properly addressed in fielded and emerging weapon systems. Second, it bolsters intelligence collection and intelligence community engagement to provide consistent and current knowledge of cyber threats to enable the acquisition community to calculate weapon system risks. Third, it develops and hones personnel cyber resiliency training, manning strategies, and integrates Cyber Focus Teams into Program Executive Offices (PEOs) to bridge the lack of cyber acquisition expertise in PEOs. Fourth, it explores and evaluates the DAF's dynamic cyber landscape to uncover vulnerabilities and prioritize cyber techniques, products, and technologies for further development and prototyping to counter evolving threats. Fifth, it resources common secure environments to enable Program Offices to share sensitive cyber intelligence, threats, and vulnerabilities, and other critical program information. Sixth, it develops software to enable digital engineering transformation of risk identification and tracking for weapon systems. Seventh, it enables the Cyber Resiliency Office for Weapon Systems (CROWS) to research, publish, and deliver government-owned guidance, roadmaps, and references to enable weapon system program offices and industry partners to effectively implement and adapt DAF strategic cyber requirements (example: Zero Trust and Defense Cyber Operations). The centralized and consolidated nature of the CROWS saves the acquisition community millions annually by eliminating the need for each weapon system program and industry partner to fund individual cyber technical exploration efforts. Finally, it resources Defense Industrial Base data protection efforts and DAF program offices with program protection resources to include hardware assurance, software assurance, supply chain risk management, and other weapon system cybersecurity/resiliency activities, as required.

Mission — Mitigations source

The Mitigations activity encompasses continuous efforts to support the Department of the Air Force (DAF) and Department of Defense acquisition community. It enables the Cyber Resiliency Office for Weapon Systems (CROWS) to be the DAF's focal point for enterprise cyber mitigations to critical cyber vulnerabilities for fielded weapon systems, subsystems, and support systems.

Mission — Mission Risk Analysis source

The Mission Risk Analysis project encompasses one continuous effort to support the Department of the Air Force (DAF) and Department of Defense acquisition community. It enables the Cyber Resiliency Office for Weapon Systems (CROWS) to be the sole-organization to collect and analyze weapon system data from multiple sources (ex. Program Executive Office portfolios and test and evaluation efforts) to understand the DAF's cyber vulnerability landscape and mitigation initiatives to inform senior leader resource investment strategies. Additionally, this effort informs efforts in the other CROWS projects to prioritize research and investments to solve enterprise cyber vulnerability and mitigation needs.

Accomplishments & Planned Programs (3)