The global supply chain supporting U.S. military operations faces persistent cyber threats from adversaries targeting both government systems and the broader industrial base. Speaking at the CyberScape Federal Cybersecurity Summit in April, Defense Logistics Agency CIO Adarryl Roberts said the agency is prioritizing efforts to secure small suppliers while protecting AI-driven decision pipelines.

Roberts said DLA's first line of defense in managing third-party risk remains contractual enforcement. The Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement (DFARS) enables the agency to require prime contractors to ensure subcontractors meet federal cybersecurity standards, he added.

As DLA expands its use of artificial intelligence for logistics planning and operational decision-making, securing the data pipelines that feed those models has become a top priority. Roberts pointed to multifactor authentication and the War Department's zero-trust architecture as foundational, enabling DLA to inherit cloud-native protections while layering on departmentwide cybersecurity policies.