By Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Ignacio D. Perez DoD News,
Defense Media Activity
WASHINGTON, Feb. 27, 2018 — Although competitors such as
China and Russia remain the greatest threat to U.S. security, rogue regimes
such as Iran and North Korea have increased in capabilities and have begun
using aggressive methods to conduct malicious cyberspace activities, the
military’s top cyber officer told Congress today.
Navy Adm. Michael S. Rogers, director of the National
Security Agency, commander of U.S. Cyber Command and chief of the Central
Security Service, testified at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing.
“Our adversaries have grown more emboldened, conducting
increasingly aggressive activities to extend their influence without fear of
significant consequence,” Rogers said. “We must change our approaches and
responses here if we are to change this dynamic.”
But as the cyber domain has evolved, Rogers told the
senators, Cybercom’s three major mission areas endure: protecting the
Department of Defense Information Network; enabling other joint force
commanders by delivering effects in and through cyberspace; and defending the
nation against cyber threats through support to the Department of Homeland
Security and others when directed to do so by the president or secretary of
defense.
Cybercom Milestones
Rogers highlighted milestones in Cybercom’s growth.
Joint Force Headquarters DODIN, the subordinate headquarters
responsible for securing, operating and defending the Defense Department's
complex information technology infrastructure, has achieved full operational
capability, he said.
Joint Task Force Ares, created to lead the fight in cyber
against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, has successfully integrated
cyberspace operations into broader military campaigns, has achieved some
“excellent results,” and will continue to pursue ISIS in support of the
nation's objectives, the admiral told the Senate panel.
Cybercom also has significantly enhanced training in cyber
operation platforms to prepare the battlespace against key adversaries, he
said.
Milestones expected to be achieved this year include Cyber
Command’s elevation to a combatant command responsible for providing
mission-ready cyberspace operations forces to other combatant commanders,
Rogers said.
New Facility
In addition, the admiral said, Cybercom will be moving into
a state-of-the-art integrated cyber center and joint operations facility at
Fort Meade, Maryland, enhancing the coordination and planning of operations
against cyber threats.
“Without cyberspace superiority in today's battlefield, risk
to mission increases across all domains and endangers our security,” Rogers
said.
Cybercom’s focus on innovation and rapid tech development
has extended all the way to small businesses and working with the private
sector while maintaining cybersecurity, Rogers told the committee.
“We intend in the coming year to create an unclassified
collaboration venue where businesses and academia can help us tackle tough
problems without needing to jump over clearance hurdles, for example, which for
many are very difficult barriers,” Rogers explained.
After serving more than four years as a commander of
Cybercom and after nearly 37 years of service as a naval officer, Rogers is set
to retire this spring.
“I will do all I can during the intervening period to ensure
the mission continues, that our men and women remain ever motivated, and that
we have a smooth transition,” he said.
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