The United States continues to face critical supply chain risks and vulnerabilities, which must be addressed to ensure our future security and competitiveness. This was stressed recently in the 2023 National Cybersecurity Strategy and in the Annual Threat Assessment. The defense information and communications technology (ICT) supply chain is no exception. Rather than addressing challenges as they arise or finding temporary solutions, long-term solutions to address current and future defense ICT risks are imperative to ensure the readiness of our armed forces.

To address this need, the R Street Institute (RSI) convened a working group that included leaders in the field from different backgrounds, including the private sector and former members of the intelligence community and the military. Over the course of a year, the working group explored the issue and developed the recommendations in the attached report. The recommendations and positions conveyed in the working group’s final report represent the collective views of the working group, but do not reflect the views of RSI or any individual scholar.

RSI appreciates the time and dedication the authors and working group members spent on this important research. We hope that it will be a substantive addition to both the supply chain conversation overall, and the defense ICT supply chain specifically.

More Cybersecurity Policy