Brilliant at the Basics

enterprise. Enforce explicit identity verification for all users and connected devices, ensuring least privilege, attribute-based access (ABAC) protections at the data, application, and network layers.First sentence or two of the description, enough to give the gist.

and leverage commercial innovation in support of the DoW mission. Design your systems to integrate through documented APIs, open standards, modular interfaces, and authoritative data exchanges to avoid proprietary lock-in.

unnecessary interfaces, and unsupported technologies. Reducing technical debt directly improves your resilience, and enables you to deliver secure, interoperable capabilities at mission speed.

assets connected to your network. Tracking your computers, servers, and active software licenses ensures the operational visibility required to effectively manage risk, maintain compliance, and build a resilient defense.

their networks into secure, isolated logical zones. Once an adversary gains access, they seek to move laterally to high-value data stores. SDN limits the "blast radius" of a compromise and ensures that sensitive Department data is dynamically protected even if an endpoint is breached.

service/component IT silos to increase the speed of delivery of capabilities to the warfighter. Utilize Infrastructure as Code (IaC), Compliance as Code, and hardened software containers to improve the software development process.

alignment to mission outcomes where AI, analytics, or automation are used.

Outside the Continental United States (OCONUS) and austere edge environments. Sustain critical access to data and applications during disrupted, disconnected, intermittent, and limited (DDIL) bandwidth conditions through localized storage and store-and-forward protocols. Implement a Zero-Trust, "assume-compromise" security posture designed to isolate localized breaches and prevent lateral movement across the broader enterprise network.

tagging and metadata content labeling to promote a data-centric, data-driven operational environment throughout its lifecycle. This will help the U.S. and her allies and partners maintain a decision advantage in future conflicts.

automated processes, and modern software technologies. Build strong partnerships with the Department, other governmental agencies, and academia to build a resilient cyber workforce.

before accessing your network. Enforce strong access controls and require multi-factor authentication (MFA) for sensitive systems. Under Zero Trust, users should only be granted the "least privilege" needed to do their specific job, nothing more. Adopt a "never trust, always verify" mindset to protect your business.

specialized operational equipment. A comprehensive inventory is the foundation for risk management, threat detection, and resilient defense.

you make it much harder for an intruder who gains access to one part of your network to move laterally and disrupt your core functions. This containment is a powerful defensive measure. A flat network is a vulnerable network.

assurance and maintaining operational resilience against cyber-physical disruptions. Unlike enterprise IT, OT incident response prioritizes life safety, environmental protection, and physical availability, meaning abrupt system shutdowns are rarely a viable containment strategy.

A robust plan requires maintaining offline backups, segregating Safety Instrumented Systems (SIS), and coordinating closely with external vendors to validate embedded firmware. During an event, response teams must quickly correlate network anomalies with physical process deviations, sever IT/OT connections to contain lateral movement, and safely transition to manual control. Finally, recovery demands scrubbing malicious logic, executing localized and phased physical restarts with joint sign-off from both cybersecurity and process engineering leads, and integrating lessons learned into regular cross-functional tabletop exercises.

Because taking machinery offline for patching is often impossible due to mission-critical availability requirements, compensating controls act as essential, temporary safeguards. These measures—including strict firewall rules, network isolation/micro-segmentation, and application allowlisting—effectively isolate vulnerable devices from exploitation until they can be safely updated during a scheduled maintenance window.

to reduce your exposure to external threats. Many businesses rely on vendors or remote employees for support, but every remote connection is a potential door to your network. These tips will help you reduce this vulnerability.

antivirus solutions include logging features that can provide visibility. Regularly reviewing these logs helps you spot and respond to threats before they cause damage. Remember, you can't stop what you can't see!

safely. When upgrading control systems, prioritize resilience by grouping assets by physical location and sensitivity. A secure, modular approach ensures that critical machinery incorporates fault tolerance, physical redundancy, and localized manual overrides, meaning a cyber disruption to one component won’t stop your entire production line.

management, and supply chain illumination. Your company's security is connected to the security of your suppliers. It is crucial to understand the entirety of your organization’s supply chain and to hold external suppliers to the same security standards as that of the organization to maintain the overall level of security. Requiring vendors to engineer systems and system components to DoW standards ensures built-in security features before purchase. For legacy OT, programs need to set a hard schedule to replace undefendable hardware.

including security updates, it's crucial to have a formal review process. This engineers safety and mission assurance into all changes in order to ensure that a security change doesn't accidentally create an unsafe condition for your employees or your operations.