By Evan Stewart
Contributor, In Cyber Defense
The U.S. Air Force is looking for some “cyber geeks” to form a new group that will solve software problems in its weapons programs.
The Air Force Digital Service (AFDS) wants to enlist individuals from the private technology sector who will work intermittently for the AFDS. Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James has nicknamed the group the “nerd cyber swat team.” She hopes they will be able to shed some light on long-standing software issues and offer new forms of innovation.
Software Is the Main Cause of Many Air Force Technology Problems
Previous groups organized by the Pentagon’s Defense Digital Service (DDS) found that the complexity of Air Force software was vastly underestimated and was the main cause of many of its tech problems. That complexity in turn affected how much and what types of cybersecurity would be needed to protect Air Force projects.
To rectify this problem, DDS brought in an advanced team with in-depth knowledge of new software tools, techniques and practices. The advanced team helped the Pentagon get its program going in the right direction again.
The Pentagon’s experience was the main catalyst for the Air Force forming the Air Force Digital Service. Whether this new team will work with classified programs has not yet been decided. Decisions are also pending on which weapons systems will the first to be addressed.
The Air Force is the second branch to assemble its own “cyber swat team,” following the creation of the Army Digital Service.
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