14 DAY TRIAL // US and UK officials have announced future upgrades to their Trident missiles program, and more specifically, to the rocket's software, in order to prevent cyber-attacks.
Currently, the US and UK are using the same type of submarine-launched missiles with their fleets, which is the Trident Class II D5 model.
Britain has 58 of these missiles, deployed on four submarines. Each boat carries eight missiles that can be equipped with up to twelve nuclear warheads if needed, capable of striking targets at a range of 7,500 miles (12,000 km).
All of the UK's missiles regularly undergo scheduled maintenance work, during which they can also receive upgrades. This work is done by BAE Systems, the company hired by both the US and the UK for this job.
Trident missiles to receive security upgrades in their next scheduled maintenance
In statements made by UK officials to The Telegraph, and by US Navy spokespersons to Bloomberg, both countries have scheduled upgrades to Trident missile software in order to fend off the threat of cyber-attacks.
Since Trident missiles aren't connected to the Internet, the security features planned for the next upgrade are probably aimed at making it harder for attackers to leverage techniques used in targeting air-gapped systems.
The revelation about the weak state of cyber-security in which these missiles were was pointed out in a 2013 report from the Defense Science Board of the US Department of Defense. Des Browne, former British Defence Secretary, also used this report last November, when he launched a public warning about impending cyber-attacks.
With Australia reporting on a barrage of cyber-attacks against the companies tasked with designing its next nuclear-capable submarine, US and UK officials are now taking cyber-threats seriously, hence their recent decision to harden Trident's software security.