Vanguard Magazine

C C4Isr 18 FEBRUARY/MARCH 2016 www.vanguardcanada.com A defence scientist prepares a smartphone for the trial with a Canadian Armed Forces soldier wearing a Google Glass heads-up display. In Canada, the Defence Research and Development Centre (DRDC), is con- ducting a series of trials to improve the performance and security of mobile ad hoc networks with Google Glass Heads- up Displays (HUD) and smartphones which aim to enable rapid decision making for dispersed operations. These wearable technologies will improve the situational awareness of a soldier in today's complex battlespace. Human-centred Wearable technology, hand-held GPS, optical sights for weaponry, and thermal or night vision imaging in headsets, have been employed for decades in the military space to address capability gaps, often well before commercial equivalents appeared. Central to the continued success of mili- tary applications of the IoT will be a keen understanding of how the IoT is imple- mented in product design and how Big Data delivered from products is used. Wearables must first and foremost be human-centered — that is, designed to meet the needs of the user without get- ting in his or her way. They must also provide actionable insights and seamless integration with other enterprise data, ap- plications and the environment. As always, with new opportunities come risks - and a future that involves billions of connected devices is fraught with cyber security risks. PwC's recent Global State of Information Security Survey 2015 found that intercon- nected devices are vulnerable to attack because they lack fundamental security safeguards. However, as strategy+business argues in A Strategist's Guide to the In- ternet of Things, the benefits of embrac- ing the growth of IoT outweigh the risks as long as an organization treads carefully and methodically. more than just an It challenge Defence departments will need to think carefully about their overall digital strategy and, as a byproduct, their cybersecurity ar- chitectures. These must be: 1) Intelligent, providing useful insights 2) Interoperable with current C4ISR systems and technologies 3) Integrated with the soldier's kit with- out adding additional weight and stress 4) Outcomes-based for the soldier in- theatre and for Operation Commanders 5) Secure so that they encapsulate in- bound and outbound data flows with- out compromising the integrity of C2 situations. Cybersecurity is more than an IT chal- lenge—it's a business imperative. New technologies, well-funded and determined adversaries and interconnected business ecosystems have combined to increase ex- posure to cyberattacks. Critical digital as- sets are being targeted at an unprecedent- ed rate and the potential impact has never been greater. To sufficiently protect the military's advantage, a government defence depart- ment's approach to cybersecurity must adapt to keep pace. It must also address the considerable security and privacy chal- lenges that come with the collection and use of sensitive information. And finally, wearables will need to overcome battery challenges that limit computation, display resolution, and connectivity. The digital transformation of the defence industry will include the adoption of wear- able technology. With Apple, Harvard, Boeing, and over one hundred other com- panies and academic institutions partner- ing with the U.S. Department of Defence to research innovative wearable solutions for the military, there is much to leverage in Canada and to realize the benefits of wearables in defence. sheila mason is a Director with PwC's Technology Advi- sory practice. Her experience spans the public sector, as well as publicly-traded companies headquar- tered in Canada and the U.S., during which she has demonstrated program and project leadership in a variety of industries includ- ing soware, clean technology, security and defence, healthcare, and government.

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