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Exploring Offshoring Effects On Military Code Security Risks

The problem they face is that the vendors on which the military has become dependent are sending much of their software development work overseas to cut costs. Offshoring may make economic sense for the companies, but the security ramifications are starting to raise red flags for Congress, the Pentagon and some vendors. . . .. It's a story that could come from a Tom Clancy book -- a terrorist cell looking for an advantage against the powerful U.S. military trains a group to be software programmers, who then infiltrate companies that have sent their software development work overseas. Working for those companies, the programmers surreptitiously put vulnerabilities in software. The concept may seem far-fetched, but so did using planes as weapons prior to Sept. 11, 2001. And given the importance of networks in the nation's day-to-day activities and in military operations, information security is even more critical now than it used to be. As more technology work -- specifically code writing -- is outsourced to cheaper labor overseas, lawmakers and industry insiders are becoming increasingly concerned with what could amount to a large hole in the Defense Department's vaunted security. For various reasons, DOD officials have made a concerted effort in recent years to purchase commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software rather than develop it in-house. The problem they face, however, is that the vendors on which the military has become dependent are sending much of their software development work overseas to cut costs. Offshoring may make economic sense for the companies, but the security ramifications are starting to raise red flags for Congress, the Pentagon and some vendors. The link for this article located at fcw.com is no longer available. . It's a story that could come from a Tom Clancy book -- a terrorist cell looking for an advantage aga. problem, vendors, which, military, become, dependent, sending. . Anthony Pell

Jul 20, 2004 • Anthony Pell Government