The Senate's defense-policy bill looks for threats in the rear-view mirror
The upper house orders up an investigation of the 2020 SolarWinds hack while saying all but nothing about AI.
Michael Mestrovich | AUGUST 22, 2023
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
The Senate in late July passed the National Defense Authorization Act for fiscal 2024, setting up a clash with the House when Congress reconvenes after Labor Day.
The $886 billion package includes a 5.2 percent pay raise for troops — the largest increase in 22 years — and policies for the Department of Defense to counter adversaries at a time of rising threats. Worthy moves, to be sure, but I wish the bill packed a bigger wallop on cybersecurity. Here are four initiatives I would like to have seen included.
Better understanding of how artificial intelligence can be used to fight hackers
Here’s a head-scratcher: The defense bill would require the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency to thoroughly investigate the landmark 2020 SolarWinds attack – which already has been thoroughly studied and feels like yesterday’s news – while there’s little to nothing about one of the most talked-about technology topics of the day, AI.
https://www.defenseone.com/ideas/2023/08/4-ways-defense-spending-bill-could-have-addressed-ai-other-issues-boost-cybersecurity/389586/