US DoD report urges more safeguards for small tech firms

An aerial view of the Pentagon, the headquarters building for the US Department of Defense. (Getty Images)

The US Department of Defense (DoD) should increase its efforts to help small businesses protect their technology from foreign adversaries, according to the Pentagon’s new “Small Business Strategy”.

Many small businesses do not realise that adversaries might try to gain access to their technology through joint ventures, mergers, acquisitions, or cyber espionage, the report says. The document recommends that the DoD offer education and training to make small businesses aware of such threats so they can take steps to counter them.

The 25-page report, which the Pentagon released on 26 January, also suggests that the department explore ways to promote greater domestic investment in small companies to reduce their reliance on overseas capital. The strategy recommends that the DoD create a working group to consider additional measures to help small businesses minimise risks from “foreign ownership, control, or influence (FOCI) operations”.