Russian Hackers Target U.S. Defense Contractors
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Over the past two years, Russian hackers have successfully gathered information by targeting U.S. defense contractors, according to CNN.
Hacks provide information on U.S. weapons: “Russian government-backed hackers have acquired sensitive information on the development and deployment of U.S. weapons by breaching American defense contractors over the last two years.”
Unclassified but important: The information breached by Russian hackers is unclassified, but provides valuable insight into U.S. weapon developments, deployment timelines and export-controlled technology.
Contractors affected: The hacks impacted contractors working with the Army, Navy, Air Force and Space Force, as well as firms working on defense and intelligence programs. The U.S. specifically said targeted contractors were involved in aircraft design and the development of combat and weapon systems.
Why it matters: U.S. security agencies said, “By acquiring proprietary internal documents and email communications, adversaries may be able to adjust their own military plans and priorities, hasten technological development efforts, inform foreign policymakers of U.S. intentions and target potential sources for recruitment.”
Our take: “Earlier this week, the U.S. government announced a ‘Shields Up’ advisory, followed by an additional advisory detailing the threat, and the defense industrial base is strongly encouraged to heed the warning,” said NAM Vice President of Infrastructure, Innovation and Human Resources Policy Robyn Boerstling. “Protecting the factory floor from cyber intruders—whether criminal or nation-state—is about protecting our competitiveness, our security and our collective defense.”
More resources: The Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency has developed a range of tools to support businesses and the industry through its Cyber Resource Hub. Learn more here.
Our plug: Cybersecurity is a vital concern for manufacturers across the country—and the NAM is working to ensure that our members have what they need to stay safe. Check out NAM Cyber Cover for information about an exclusive cybersecurity and risk mitigation program developed in partnership with AHT Insurance and Coalition.
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Manufacturers Unveil Competitiveness Agenda Ahead of Midterm Elections
“Competing to Win” offers a path for bringing the country together around policies, shared values and a unified purpose
Washington, D.C. – Ahead of the midterm elections, the National Association of Manufacturers released its policy roadmap, “Competing to Win,” a comprehensive blueprint featuring immediate solutions for bolstering manufacturers’ competitiveness. It is also a roadmap for policymakers on the laws and regulations needed to strengthen the manufacturing industry in the months and years ahead.
With the country facing rising prices, snarled supply chains and geopolitical turmoil, manufacturers are outlining an actionable competitiveness agenda that Americans across the political spectrum can support. “Competing to Win” includes the policies manufacturers in America will need in place to continue driving the country forward.
“‘Competing to Win’ offers a path for bringing our country together around policies, shared values and a unified purpose,” said NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons. “The NAM is putting forward a plan filled with ideas that policymakers could pursue immediately, including solutions to urgent problems, such as energy security, immigration reform, supply chain disruptions, the ongoing workforce shortage and more. Manufacturers have shown incredible resilience through difficult times, employing more workers now than before the pandemic, but continued resilience is not guaranteed without the policies that are critical to the state of manufacturing in America.”
The NAM and its members will leverage “Competing to Win” to shape policy debates ahead of the midterm elections, in the remainder of the 117th Congress and at the start of the 118th Congress—including in direct engagement with lawmakers, for grassroots activity, across traditional and digital media and through events in key states and districts as we did following the initial rollout of the roadmap in 2016.
The document focuses on 12 areas of action, and all policies are rooted in the values that have made America exceptional and keep manufacturing strong: free enterprise, competitiveness, individual liberty and equal opportunity.
Learn more about how manufacturers are leading and about the industry’s competitiveness agenda at nam.org/competing-to-win.
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The National Association of Manufacturers is the largest manufacturing association in the United States, representing small and large manufacturers in every industrial sector and in all 50 states. Manufacturing employs more than 12.8 million men and women, contributes $2.77 trillion to the U.S. economy annually and accounts for 58% of private-sector research and development. The NAM is the powerful voice of the manufacturing community and the leading advocate for a policy agenda that helps manufacturers compete in the global economy and create jobs across the United States. For more information about the NAM or to follow us on Twitter and Facebook, please visit www.nam.org
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