Algorithmic Warfare: Hackers Take Advantage of Mass Teleworking

Adversaries are likely to exploit the widespread movement toward teleworking by government workers and federal contractors during the COVID-19 pandemic, experts warn.

Essye Miller, principal deputy to the Defense Department’s chief information officer, said because of the spread of the novel coronavirus, there has been unprecedented demand on the Pentagon’s network systems as employees work remotely. And with so many personnel working from home, there are cybersecurity risks.

“With the increased telework capability comes an increased attack surface for our adversary,” Miller said during a virtual townhall in March.

To mitigate that vulnerability, the Defense Department has developed a list of best practices for employees to use when working from home. Additionally, it has stood up a COVID-19 telework readiness task force, which meets daily to review and address various technical issues.

Read the full article and more in National Defense Magazine.