{"id":4885,"date":"2021-12-14T14:20:59","date_gmt":"2021-12-14T11:20:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.endpointprotector.com\/blog\/?p=4885"},"modified":"2026-04-08T18:46:38","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T15:46:38","slug":"aerospace-and-defense-industry-3-ways-to-improve-data-security","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.endpointprotector.com\/blog\/aerospace-and-defense-industry-3-ways-to-improve-data-security\/","title":{"rendered":"Aerospace\u00a0and\u00a0Defense Industry: 3 Ways to Improve Data Security"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aerospace and defense organizations face advanced cyber threats targeting sensitive data like CUI and IP. To stay compliant with frameworks like CMMC and GDPR, they must classify data, secure isolated systems, control removable devices, and use encryption. Combining these with DLP ensures strong protection against insider threats and data breaches.<\/em><\/p>\n

The goal of the aerospace and defense industry is to ensure the security of a country, its critical infrastructure, government authorities, and citizens. As such, they are often the targets of Advanced Persistent Threats (APT) groups working together with nation-states to steal intellectual property\u00a0<\/a>(IP) to advance domestic aerospace and defense capabilities, develop countermeasures, and collect intelligence with which to monitor, possibly infiltrate and subvert other nations\u2019 defense systems.<\/p>\n

More common\u00a0cyber threats\u00a0such as\u00a0malware\u00a0and ransomware attacks have also increased in recent years as critical military and civil infrastructures have been modernized and become connected to networks and the internet, making them vulnerable to\u00a0hackers. The advent of\u00a0new technology\u00a0such as\u00a0artificial intelligence\u00a0and advanced\u00a0automation\u00a0brought a new category of potential\u00a0vulnerabilities\u00a0that enforced the need for\u00a0cyber defense.\u00a0As a consequence, the\u00a0aerospace\u00a0and\u00a0defense sector\u00a0is heavily regulated and closely scrutinized by governments.<\/p>\n

In the US, the\u00a0Cybersecurity\u00a0Capability Maturity Model<\/a>\u00a0(CMMC) certification was introduced by the US government to fix low rates of compliance associated with\u00a0NIST\u00a0SP 800-171<\/a>. CMMC is a new framework that aims to protect Federal Contract Information (FCI) and Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) for all contractors or subcontractors of the United States\u00a0Department of Defense\u00a0(DoD). All companies that do business within the Defense Industrial Base (DIB)\u00a0supply chain\u00a0or wish to participate in a\u00a0DoD\u00a0bid, must be CMMC certified.<\/p>\n

Since they collect personal data from customers, but also often conduct extensive background checks when hiring employees,\u00a0aerospace\u00a0and\u00a0defense companies\u00a0also need to protect the personal information they collect from\u00a0data breaches. Under legislation such as the\u00a0General Data Protection Regulation<\/a>\u00a0(GDPR),\u00a0aerospace\u00a0and defense organizations are obligated to ensure that EU data subjects\u2019 personal information is not lost or stolen and face limitations in the transfer of personal data across borders. GDPR has an extraterritoriality clause which means companies collecting the data of EU data subjects must comply with the regulation regardless of where they are physically located.<\/p>\n

For all these reasons, defense and\u00a0aerospace\u00a0companies require advanced\u00a0cybersecurity\u00a0frameworks to meet all their compliance requirements and guard against the many\u00a0cyber threats\u00a0they face in\u00a0real-time. But what are some of the best ways defense and aerospace organizations can improve data security? Let\u2019s take a closer look.<\/p>\n

Assess data sensitivity<\/h2>\n

An effective\u00a0security strategy\u00a0not only protects a company\u2019s network and the data stored on it, but also ensures that employees can still perform their tasks efficiently without their systems being slowed down by cumbersome policies. To minimize the impact data protection solutions have on daily business operations, defense and\u00a0aerospace\u00a0companies need to identify and protect only data that is considered sensitive.<\/p>\n

Data classification is also an important part of compliance efforts. To correctly determine which level CMMC compliance<\/a> an organization needs to reach, they first have to find out what types of CUI they collect. CUI refers to highly sensitive business and customer data such as tax-related information, sensitive intelligence data, patents, and intellectual property. Solutions such as Data Loss Prevention<\/a> (DLP) tools allow companies to not only identify and monitor files containing sensitive information but can also help control its movements through policies that target only data defined as sensitive.<\/p>\n

Protect data in isolated environments<\/h2>\n

Isolated environments are common in the defense and\u00a0aerospace\u00a0sector. This means that they are not connected to the internet and sometimes not even to a wider internal company network. While this makes them more secure from outside attacks, their isolation often means that removable devices will be connected to them to retrieve or add data to a computer. Whether it\u2019s new software or simply a retrieval of logs and reports, removable devices such as USBs and external drives can be used to access isolated\u00a0information systems.<\/p>\n

This brings certain dangers to data security. For one, USBs in particular is a popular tool for the propagation of malware, but malicious or compromised employees may also attempt to steal data<\/a> this way. Even legitimate uses of removable devices can be problematic: the data, once it leaves the security of an isolated machine, is no longer protected as such devices can easily be lost or stolen.<\/p>\n

Device control<\/a> policies can help mitigate these risks. By controlling the use of USB and peripheral ports, companies can limit their use to trusted devices that are company-issued and clearly identify the user and the time a device was connected to an isolated machine. When used in conjunction with DLP policies, device control can also be used to block, log and report any attempt to transfer highly sensitive data to removable devices.<\/p>\n

For DLP solutions to work in isolated environments, it is necessary for them to be applied directly on the endpoint. Once this is done, the software does not require an internet\u00a0connection\u00a0to function. Logs are stored locally and updates can be applied offline as well.<\/p>\n

Use Encryption<\/h2>\n

All CMMC levels include encryption-related requirements like the need to encrypt communication sessions and storage devices containing CUI such as laptops, USB drives, and smartphones. Encryption is also one of only two technical security measures explicitly mentioned in the text of the GDPR<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Encryption solutions are often required to meet current encryption standards such as\u00a0FIPS 140-2<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0FIPS 197<\/a>. Many of those that already exist as native tools on mobile phones or operating systems such as Windows and macOS already meet these standards which mean companies do not need to invest in additional external solutions to encrypt hard drives or phones.<\/p>\n

When it comes to removable devices<\/a>, organizations can use an enforced encryption<\/a> solution such as that offered by Endpoint Protector<\/a>. Through it, any time-sensitive data that is transferred onto devices such as USBs will be automatically encrypted with government-approved encryption. This prevents any outsiders from accessing the data without a decryption key and helps organizations meet compliance requirements.<\/p>\n

In conclusion<\/h2>\n

The theft of highly sensitive data or loss of control over a system can have serious consequences both for\u00a0national security, but also for a defense and\u00a0aerospace\u2019s business\u2019 bottom line.\u00a0Data breaches\u00a0can undermine their ability to win new contracts as security incidents are seen as red flags. It may also make obtaining certifications such as CMMC more difficult. The defense and\u00a0aerospace\u00a0industry\u00a0must therefore make combatting these threats and building\u00a0cyber resiliency\u00a0a priority.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Aerospace and defense organizations face advanced cyber threats targeting sensitive data like CUI and IP. To stay compliant with frameworks like CMMC and GDPR, they must classify data, secure isolated systems, control removable devices, and use encryption. Combining these with DLP ensures strong protection against insider threats and data breaches. The goal of the aerospace … <\/p>\n

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