Department of Defense Anti-Tamper Requirements

The U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) has an increasing need to protect Critical Program Information. The United States Air Force has been defined as the Executive Agent for all the services. The Anti-Tamper / Software Protection Initiative Technology Office (AT/SPI) has been set up as the field agent for the Executive Agency. Excerpts from their brochure below show the scope of their anti-tamper initiative.

Excerpts from the Anti-Tamper Program brochure from the AT/SPI Technology Office:

Why is Anti-Tamper Important?

Opportunities for exploitation of U.S. systems are increasing

• Foreign military sales, direct commercial sales, and international co-production
• Exposure during the global war on terrorism, contingency operations, and cooperative activities
• Loss on the battlefield

Anti-Tamper is Required per the 5000 Series for:

• All new start programs
• All pre-planned product improvement (P3I) or technology insertion efforts
• All programs that did not reach Milestone B by May 1, 2000

Critical Program Information (CPI)

The new DoD Directive 5200.39 defines CPI as "information, technologies, or systems, that, if compromised, would degrade combat effectiveness, shorten the expected combat-effective life of a system, or alter program direction."