The Department of War has been rocked by leaks, disgruntled staff, and digital espionage — a quiet but corrosive threat undermining U.S. national security from within. The Trump administration is taking the problem seriously, even resorting to polygraph testing to root out leakers. But one question remains: why have so many agencies been slow to implement basic, commonsense cybersecurity measures that could have prevented many of these breaches in the first place?
A better question might be: are these changes in policy actually working? They might be, but as the saying goes, “In God we trust — all others must sign.” A few proven technical solutions could dramatically strengthen insider threat detection across the Department of War.
A Simple Solution Hiding in Plain Sight
It’s remarkable how easy it is for someone — even accidentally — to walk into a secure area with a phone in their pocket or a tablet in a backpack. These small devices can silently connect to networks or capture sensitive data without anyone noticing.
Utilizing Wireless Intrusion Detection System, or WIDS, can help change that by continuously scanning for unauthorized devices and immediately alerting security teams to their presence.
For security professionals, it’s a no-brainer: WIDS should be implemented government-wide, from the Pentagon to forward-deployed facilities.
Yet, despite its maturity and proven value, adoption has been inconsistent. The Pentagon, for example, is supposed to have wireless detection systems across all secure facilities — but implementation has been slow.
That delay has consequences. A fully deployed WIDS capability could have identified unauthorized devices trying to connect to secure networks in real time — stopping bad actors in their tracks before damage was done. This kind of proactive defense is exactly what’s needed in today’s wireless, always-connected environment.
Expert Consensus: The Risk Is Too High to Ignore
Andy Keiser, Senior Fellow at the National Security Institute and a former senior advisor to the House Intelligence Committee, put it plainly:
“To properly enforce the no-electronic-device policy, the use of Wireless Intrusion Detection Systems is essential. Absent WIDS monitoring, the government rolls the dice every time someone walks through the soundproof doors of a secure facility.”
He’s right. The federal government runs on wireless networks, and nearly every employee — from senior officials to contractors — carries a smartphone. Even with strict access controls, that’s a massive attack surface. You’d be surprised how often sensitive networks are inadvertently exposed or targeted by outside actors.
A Wake-Up Call for the Digital Age
At the recent U.N. General Assembly in New York, the Secret Service reportedly uncovered a clandestine network of over 100,000 SIM cards and 300 servers capable of disrupting entire cellular systems — or worse, quietly siphoning off communications. More than 100 heads of state attended that meeting, including President Trump. Imagine what adversaries might have accessed if that network hadn’t been caught in time.
Leaks and digital intrusions aren’t new, but their scale and sophistication have grown. During Trump’s first term, the Department of Justice reported 120 federal leaks — up from just 37 the year prior. In recent years, Iranian-linked hackers have targeted U.S. political campaigns and threatened to release sensitive communications from senior officials. Since 2006, the U.S. government has endured more than 700 significant cyberattacks — 15 percent of them tied to coordinated espionage.
Clearly, America’s defense networks face an insider and outsider problem alike.
Zero Trust and the Path Forward
Technology like WIDS is an essential layer of defense, but it’s not enough on its own. The Pentagon must fully embrace Zero Trust architecture — a model that assumes nothing and no one is inherently safe. Every user, every device, every connection must be continuously verified.
Equally important are routine network audits — independent reviews that track how data flows through defense systems, detect weak points, and verify that every safeguard works as intended. Think of it as a cybersecurity version of a financial audit — preventive, not reactive.
Winning the Quiet War
The administration has made significant progress in protecting America’s digital perimeter, but true security requires constant vigilance. By combining WIDS, Zero Trust, and a culture of proactive cyber discipline, the Department of Defense can finally gain the upper hand — against both the spies who seek to infiltrate our systems and the insiders who unwittingly enable them.
It’s time to bring U.S. cybersecurity into the twenty-first century and win the quiet war that’s been happening all along — the one within our own walls.
Colonel Trotter is a retired commissioned officer of the United States Army in November 2021 with 35 years of active military service. He served in multiple combat tours, leadership roles, and executive positions. He also served at all levels from the squad, battalion, brigade, division, corps, Army, and in the Pentagon. His combat tours include Afghanistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait.