Journal Article

Resilient Dependencies

Barrett, Maria B.

2025

Overview

In a volatile threat environment, the Army’s readiness and ability to execute missions at home and abroad increasingly hinge on digital dependencies spanning commercial software, IT/OT infrastructure, utilities, and the organic industrial base. This opener frames a cohesive approach to mission thread resilience across the Unified Network, emphasizing three imperatives: partner early and often with program managers, vendors, contractors, and local utilities to rehearse crisis response and establish shared understanding; procure secure by design capabilities with transparent vulnerability disclosure and rapid patching; and make data informed, commander owned risk decisions that enable formations to “fight through” disruption. Drawing lessons from the Army Cyber Institute’s Jack Voltaic workshops and the inaugural Army Defensive Cyberspace Operations Optimization Conference, the article illustrates how civil military interdependencies can cascade and how rehearsals reveal hidden assumptions. A “fort to port” vignette, where a cyber compromise of national rail switching triggers operational delays, shows the value of synchronized public-private response, near real-time operational data, and flexible branches and sequels. The piece calls for acquisition leaders to weigh vendor track records on zero days and patch latency, signals the need to report and coordinate through ARCYBER’s Information Warfare Operations Center and NETCOM’s Global Cyber Center, and argues for a whole-of-nation model akin to the Civil Reserve Air Fleet to surge cyber resilience. Ultimately, it celebrates the tenacity of signal and cyber professionals and invites continued thought leadership that prevents strategic surprise in cyberspace while transforming how the Army teams, trains, and fights in and through a contested homeland.

• Publisher: Army Cyber Institute
• Subject: Senior Leader Perspectives