DOD Needs Permanent Group to Protect Critical Technologies

DOD Needs Permanent Group to Protect Critical Technologies

A Defense Department task force is making progress on developing procedures for identifying and protecting critical technologies but should designate an organization to run protection efforts departmentwide to ensure consistent leadership, according to a new Government Accountability audit released Jan. 12


The 2019 National Defense Authorization Act mandated DOD come up with a list of acquisition programs, technologies, manufacturing capabilities and research areas critical to maintaining U.S. military superiority. Such a list would enable DOD and other federal agencies to establish protection members aimed at preventing adversaries from spying or stealing this technology. But previous methods of identification didn’t work for DOD, so the department began implementing a revised process in February 2020. 


That work, which is not yet complete, is being led by the Protecting Critical Technology Task Force, established by then-Defense Secretary James Mattis in 2018. Maj. Gen. Thomas Murphy, who heads up the task force, indicated this work is concerned with combating any means by which technology, information and data could be stolen, including via cyber activities.


The task force was supposed to dissolve in October 2020, according to the audit, but will likely stay intact until spring in order to transition responsibilities. Which organization will assume these responsibilities is the question.


“With the new administration coming in, we think it's really important that there is a specific organization, designated to carry out these last steps, and then to ultimately administer this whole process going forward,” William Russell, who directs ..

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