DoD has faced Operational Technology (OT) challenges for years. Nation-state actors have been embedding trojanized devices, corrupted firmware, and counterfeit components across the Department of Defense’s operational technology (OT) supply chain.
But the threat is evolving, and expanding exponentially. Autonomous, agentic AI, and generative adversarial networks will do far more than a typical botnet. These non-human identities are machine-to-machine connections not subject to zero trust principles. They can look for vulnerabilities, exploit gaps faster than human defenders can respond, and manipulate the digital terrain with unprecedented precision. These systems can learn from each other, operate without direct instruction, and coordinate attacks on OT infrastructure with scale and speed that overwhelm conventional defenses.
From ransomware halting fuel logistics to malware disabling industrial safety systems, compromised OT is already undermining military readiness.
To preserve the warfighter’s advantage, the DoD must rapidly fortify its cyber-physical domain. That means:
- Embedding Zero Trust into every layer of OT architecture, from PLCs to perimeter defenses
- Identifying and remediating tamper-evident firmware, secure boot protocols, and AI-resistant logic at the edge
- Establishing real-time cryptographic inventorying and component provenance checks
- Conducting continuous monitoring and anomaly detection designed for AI-adaptive adversaries
- Scaling public-private intelligence sharing to track and neutralize emergent agentic threats
This panel will dissect real-world intrusions into DoD OT systems, examine the rise of autonomous threat actors, and offer prescriptive guidance on reengineering defense infrastructure to withstand cyber-physical sabotage. The technology that underpins our military capabilities must be as trustworthy as our troops.
OT resilience is tactical oxygen. The warfighter deserves nothing less than and the future of our national security depends on it.