Navy faces crushing demand for information warfare systems

The Navy has a compelling need for shipboard assurance systems to maintain a secure environment, the service's top command-and-control acquisition official told an overflow audience here at the annual Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association-West conference. AFCEA is an industry group.

Last year, the Navy installed host-based security systems on 348 ships to monitor, detect and deter network cyberattacks. Rear Adm. Jerry Burroughs, program executive officer for command, control, computers, communications and intelligence at the Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command headquartered here, said SPAWAR remains "crushed" by demands from the fleet to maintain a secure environment for Navy computers, which he considers his top priority.

Burroughs said the cyberattackers the Navy has to deal with use inexpensive tools readily available on the Internet, and the service must adopt similar practices. "We need simple commercial off-the-shelf solutions -- the cheaper the better," Burroughs said, as well as the ability to rapidly field those tools.