The US military wants you to hack its computers

U.S. Air National Guard/Senior Airman Cody Martin

The US military wants you to hack its computers — as long as you promise to let them know how you did it.

The Defense Department announced Wednesday it would begin the first-ever pilot program called "Hack the Pentagon," a bug bounty competition for outside hackers to test the vulnerabilities in the military's systems.

"The goal is not to comprise any aspect of our critical systems, but to still challenge our cybersecurity in a new and innovative way," a senior defense official told Reuters, adding that thousands of participants were expected to try out.

The idea of bringing outsiders to try and hack Pentagon systems is a first, though it's pretty common for corporations, which often hire cybersecurity companies to try and break into their computer networks and physical locations, which is called penetration testing. 

The military already tests and hardens its systems with internal staff, led by the US Cyber Command and NSA. Of critical concern among top military leaders these days is keeping hackers out of critical infrastructure such as the US power grid, especially since alleged state-sponsored hackers attacked Ukraine's electricity systems in December.

Hackers who participate need to be US citizens and will have to pass a background check before they get in front of one of the DoD's public-facing computer systems. The program will begin in April.

“I am always challenging our people to think outside the five-sided box that is the Pentagon,” Defense Secretary Ash Carter said in a statement. “Inviting responsible hackers to test our cybersecurity certainly meets that test. I am confident this innovative initiative will strengthen our digital defense and ultimately enhance our national security.”

The announcement of a hacking challenge comes at a time when the Pentagon ramps up its efforts in cyberspace after the release of a new cyber strategy in April 2015. In it, the military proposed 133 teams for its "cyber mission force" by 2018, 27 of which were directed to support combat missions by "generating integrated cyberspace effects in support of ... operations." (Effects is a common military term used for artillery and aircraft targeting, and soldiers proclaim "good effect on target" to communicate a direct hit). 

"Cyber weapons and digital attacks are being integrated into the full spectrum of military operations," Adam Segal writes in his book, "Hacked World Order," which outlines how nation-states are increasingly using cyberspace as a new battlefield. 

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