The Pentagon is inviting vetted hackers to break into public US Defense Department websites as part of a pilot project to test their cybersecurity.
"Hack the Pentagon" is modelled on similar competitions known as "bug bounties" that are carried out by big US companies, including United Continental Holdings, to expose gaps in their security networks.
The idea behind the programme - the first to be offered by the federal government - is to find and identify problems before malicious hackers can exploit them, saving money and time in the event of damaging breaches in networks.
Defense Secretary Ash Carter said: "I am confident that this innovative initiative will strengthen our digital defences and ultimately enhance our national security."
Thousands of qualified participants are expected to join the initiative, according to a defence official.
The Pentagon has said details and rules of the project were still being worked out, but it could involve financial rewards.
It has long tested its own networks using internal "red teams", but the initiative would open some of the department's vast network of computer systems to cyber challenges from across the industry and academia.
Participants must be US citizens and will have to register and submit to a background check before they are turned loose on the computer system.
More sensitive networks or key weapons programmes will not be included in the project, at least initially, the Pentagon said.
The official added: "The goal is not to compromise any aspect of our critical systems, but to still challenge our cybersecurity in a new and innovative way."
The project is being led by the Defense Digital Service (DDS), which was set up in November to bring experts from the US technology industry into the military for short periods of time.
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