From sharing data to automatic classification: USA and NATO trace the new frontier. Italy can become the protagonist of the Cyber domain
The born defense and the US one question what it should be The architecture of the systems that collect and catalog the data intended to form the foundations to combat IT and cybernetic attacks. For this new “domain” in Italy are coming 35 billion euros to be provided by 2029figure to be divided between the expenses for the development of Technologies for the safety and protection of critical infrastructuresbut also for the platforms contrasting hybrid threats. It is no coincidence that Italy is trying to rationalize a particularly fragmented situation at the level of industries and institutions by creating A national pole for cybernetic security on the example of what happened for underwater domain. The push also comes from the current organization of NATO, which from this year provides for this year The inclusion of cybernetic skills in the official calculation of defense expenditure. The fact that, curiously, the contrary to the increase in military spending pretend to ignore. Even if with these initiatives employment opportunities and skills will increaseincluding those for the simulation of crisesfor the computer risk management platforms and for the creation of digital environments in which to train the staff of the Armed Forces To counteract the so -called “hybrid” challenges such as The disinformation campaigns, Interference on democratic processes And The blocking of supply chains.
The cat to digital defense and the new hybrid threats
In February the European service report for external action (EEAS) was published, according to which In 2024 the attempts of intrusion were multiplied in the command and control systems of various European military basesoften conducted by exploiting the vulnerability in logistics management systems. Hence the need to strengthen the digital defense industry and invest in Dual-US technologiescapable of operating both in the civil and military context. Italy in this field moves with caution and today has the opportunity to assume a central role in the domain of digital defensewithout therefore depending on the USA as it happens for other defensive structures, such as F-35 aircraft. However, it remains a big problem to solve: The single classification of data to be able to share them with the allies. Last February the US Department of Defense announced that he had reached 14% of its objective of making all the company networks of the US defense suppliers compliant with the “zero trust” standard by the end of the tax year 2027. At that moment Colonel Gary Kipe, Chief of Staff of the Management Office of the portfolio called “Zero Trust” of the US Defense Department, during a debate at the “Cyber Scoop event explained that this level represented specific areas in which the US military could have blocked the opposing movements within the national computer network.
Zero trust and the challenge of the automatic classification of data
What worries is that to reach a level of preparation of 100% they need two factors that have not yet been achieved. The first, the lack of identity management tools, credentials and access to networks with constant controls which are used to ensure that users are authorized to access information. The second, the lack of an automatic classification of the collected data That helps to label and categorize them on the basis of sensitivity, importance and other factors to facilitate better management and protect them from unauthorized users. Both capabilities that should be developed by 2027 and which are used for Share information on threats with the wider intelligence community, allies and partners. John Sahlin, vice -president of General Dynamics Information Technology computer solutions, explains the concept of Zero trust: “It means enabled a mission and collectively use the data to pursue the objectives of the missionand these objectives also include dangerous elements; Once the Department of Defense is able to implement the foundations of the data classification, it can start implementing the zero trust system more widely on a tactical level. We must be able to allow commanders to make changes to missions very quickly based on the conditions and people with whom the data are sharedso you can complete the tasks successfully and this is a key factor why If we manage to correctly define the foundations of the procedures we could really do interesting things on the tactical front“.”
