Everything is connected all the time – and that’s a problem.

Marine leaders at the annual Modern Day Marine military expo in Quantico Thursday told industry attendees that the so-called Internet of Things and massive growth in data will stress an overburdened network.

At least one general told the audience that Marines must evaluate how devices connect to their network and what that means for operations in cyberspace.

Brig. Gen. Dennis Crall, with Headquarters Marine Corps C4, said that the world is on the cusp of a data explosion.

That calls for a serious look at how the Corps connects to its networks, how the data is accessed and by whom.

“We have to temper and tame the Wild West of end-use devices,” Crall said.

The one-star general gave an example saying that a division might not have the capacity to process all the data gathered by an F-35 jet on a short mission. And that data has various levels of classification.

“We’re dealing with more data and more complex data than we have ever experienced,” Crall said.

Those factors combine to create a scenario where a relatively strong network in garrison is overloaded and fails in a real-world scenario.

To meet those challenges, Crall said the Corps must use artificial intelligence to manage the volume and rapidity of data in the networks and must also have policies and procedures that outline what devices connect to the network and how.

Todd South has written about crime, courts, government and the military for multiple publications since 2004 and was named a 2014 Pulitzer finalist for a co-written project on witness intimidation. Todd is a Marine veteran of the Iraq War.

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