The Navy says its manpower website will be closed at the end of the month, after the cyber threat posed by Russia and China has been identified.
The Department of Defense confirmed to ABC News that the shutdown is in effect, but it did not provide any additional details about the reasons for the closure.
The shutdown affects nearly 4 million government workers and civilian contractors who work with the Navy on a wide range of missions.
It was first announced in March, but the Navy has not publicly announced its shutdowns for the past three months.
“We will continue to manage the Manpower website as best we can, as well as other information resources for our customers, as part of our ongoing effort to respond to these new cyber threats,” Navy Secretary Ray Mabus said in a statement.
“In this ongoing effort, we will be working with other federal agencies and private sector partners to continue to address the threats.”
The shutdown comes amid a broader cybersecurity challenge for the U.S. government, including the ongoing threat of cyberattacks.
The Pentagon said it has been working with federal agencies to develop “strategic plans to address cybersecurity threats.”
Mabus said the shutdown would allow the Navy to “work with federal and private industry to identify and prevent cyber-enabled attacks, and to protect the nation and our sailors, our troops, and our facilities.”
The Navy will continue the Manage Manpower Website for up to 30 days.
