The U.S. Department of Defense is actively experimenting with blockchain technology to enhance security.

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) is seeking to establish a blockchain solution for cybersecurity as part of its digital modernization strategy, aiming to develop a cybersecurity shield.

The Department of Defense released a blockchain technology plan in the four-year roadmap on July 12, called the "Department of Defense Digital Modernization Strategy, codenamed 'FY19–23'," outlining several ways to enhance the nation's digital defense. This includes the integration of cloud and quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and improving communication of classified documents through a "distributed ledger."

According to the report, the Department of Defense's research division, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), is currently pursuing two exploratory blockchain projects:

Firstly, as reported by Decrypt, DARPA is experimenting with building a new or improved communication and transaction platform. The platform's functionalities will include communication between units and headquarters, as well as intelligence officers and the Pentagon, with the goal of achieving a more efficient, robust, and secure platform.

Secondly, DARPA is attempting to create an "unhackable network code" that can gather intelligence on bad actors attempting to breach databases using blockchain.

As part of the Department's second modernization plan for encryption since 2000, DARPA has been slowly replacing old hardware and encryption systems with new technology to address the challenges of other countries improving their computing power and cyberattacks. Referring to the blockchain's characteristics of trustlessness, transparency, and immutability, the Department stated:

Blockchain networks not only reduce the likelihood of compromise but also impose greater costs on adversaries.

According to a previous report, DARPA had previously announced plans to host a two-day blockchain workshop in February. DARPA is particularly interested in examining "permissionless consensus protocols." The organization also pointed out other potentially valuable use cases of blockchain in data storage, stating:

The technology of distributed consensus protocols has played a prominent role in cryptocurrency and blockchain technologies, potentially leading to revolutionary changes. This technology is of significant importance for the security and resilience of critical data storage and computational tasks, including improvements for the Department of Defense.

We can see that blockchain technology is gradually being integrated into various applications, as seen in the recent announcement by the U.S. Navy also attempting to use this technology for improvements, indicating there will be more applications and developments in the future.

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