Security

Can You Hack the Pentagon?

A recent initiative from the Defense Department is inviting "vetted" hackers to test the Pentagon's cyberdefenses.

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Phil Goldstein is a former web editor of the CDW family of tech magazines and a veteran technology journalist. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife and their animals: a dog named Brenna, and two cats, Grady and Princess.

The Defense Department wants hackers to test the security of the Pentagon’s nearly 500 websites through its “Hack the Pentagon” initiative, the first cyber bounty program in federal history.

Led by the Defense Digital Service, the program challenges vetted hackers to identify vulnerabilities in a department system. The most successful hackers will earn a cash prize and recognition.

“I am always challenging our people to think outside the five-sided box that is the Pentagon,” says Secretary of Defense Ash Carter.

Defense officials say the pilot will be the first in a series of programs designed to test for vulnerabilities in the Defense Department’s applications, websites and networks.

Read more at fedtechmagazine.com/hackers.