When the Keyboard Isn’t the Barrier: Vibe Coding and the Cyber Shift Inside the DIB

By Allen Westley | Cyber Explorer

We’ve all been there.

A high-priority task lands on your desk—maybe it’s a script to automate RMF checklist mapping, or parsing XML output from a weekly STIG scan. You know what needs to be done. You can visualize the logic. You can even write it out in plain English.

But the code? That part feels like asking your brain to speak in Morse while tap dancing.

In most Defense Industrial Base (DIB) settings, if you're not a full-stack developer, that script either sits in backlog limbo—or worse, gets done manually every week. This has been the quiet inefficiency living inside the security stack for years.

Until now.

Enter: Vibe Coding

Vibe coding isn’t about syntax. It’s about storytelling with systems. It’s the act of describing intent—what you want the system to do—and letting AI-enabled tooling generate or scaffold the logic underneath.

You don’t code in the traditional sense. You guide. You vibe. You iterate.

The result? ISSOs writing Python without knowing it’s Python. Secure Area IT building health check tools through prompts. ISSMs testing ConMon dashboards—all by describing the outcome, not writing the instructions.

The Democratization of Code Has Already Begun

• 92% of developers now use AI coding assistants like Copilot. (GitHub Octoverse 2023)
• 40% of Replit Ghostwriter users have no formal coding background.
• 53% of non-engineers now write or analyze code using LLMs. (Stack Overflow 2024)

Key takeaway: You don’t need to know Python. You need to vibe with it.

Use Cases Emerging Inside the DIB

1. Automating Compliance Reviews with Plain Language

An ISSM needs to map AC-2 controls to STIG IDs. A vibe coding agent returns a working Python script in under five minutes.

2. Secure Area IT Scripting Without Engineers

An enclave admin pastes in logs and asks: “Flag any unusual authentication events from March 12.” They get a working PowerShell command with explanations.

3. ConMon Dashboards in Minutes

An ISSO says: “Build a Splunk dashboard to track critical vulnerabilities from Nessus feed by business unit.” The system responds with queries and a visualization template.

Risks to Consider

• Cloud-based AI assistants like Copilot and ChatGPT often can’t be used in classified environments.
• Logic errors and hallucinations are real—30%+ of AI-generated code contains flaws. (ACM, 2023)
• False confidence in unvalidated scripts could lead to misconfigurations or security exposure.

The Opportunity Is Bigger Than the Risk

“AI coding assistants are not replacing developers; they are changing who can be one.” — Amjad Masad, CEO of Replit

“Coding is no longer about syntax. It’s about communicating intent clearly to machines.” — Andrej Karpathy, former Director of AI, Tesla

What Comes Next for the DIB

• Deploy air-gapped models: StarCoder2, Code LLaMA, or fine-tuned Falcon LLMs.
• Train prompt-writing as a baseline skill for ISSOs, Secure Area IT, and ConMon leads.
• Establish prompt-to-script review processes for compliance inside RMF and ConMon workflows.

The Bottom Line

Vibe coding isn’t a gimmick—it’s a recalibration.

In a world where every second of labor matters, vibe coding allows non-developers to become low-code power users, without a crash course in syntax. For the Defense Industrial Base, this shift could be the tactical force multiplier no one saw coming.

So, the question isn’t: Will we adopt it? It’s: Are we ready to lead with it?

Disclaimer: The opinions and content creation expressed in this article are my own and do not reflect those of my employer. This content is intended for informational purposes only and is based on publicly available information.