Latest in Cyber Command
Amid rising tensions with Iran following the country’s downing of a U.S. surveillance drone last month, President Trump reportedly ordered and then called off military strikes against targets in Iran. Soon, news reports indicated that, in lieu of those strikes, U.S.
A blockbuster article by David Sanger and Nicole Perlroth in the New York Times reports U.S. Cyber Command operations to hold at-risk at least some aspects of the electric power grid in Russia. The story raises a host of legal and policy questions.
On February 26, Ellen Nakashima of the Washington Post reported what had been speculated for some weeks: that U.S. Cyber Command undertook an offensive cyber campaign to protect the 2018 midterm elections.
I'm happy to report that U.S. Cyber Command will host its sixth annual legal conference from March 4–7, and that some seats may still be available. The title is "Achieving and Maintaining Cyberspace Superiority," and it is consciously framed as not just a CYBERCOM but also an interagency (and international) production.
More details from the organizers, including contact information if you’d like to attend:
The new U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) vision and the Department of Defense Cyber Strategy embody a fundamental reorientation in strategic thinking.
I’m happy to report that U.S. Cyber Command will host its fifth annual legal conference from March 5 through 8 and that some seats may still be available. The title is “Cyberspace Operations in the Gray Zone,” and it is consciously framed as not just a CYBERCOM but also an interagency production.
More details from the organizers, including contact information, if you’d like to attend:
Friday morning, the White House announced it will elevate Cyber Command to a full unified combatant command. Within 60 days, the Secretary of Defense will recommend whether Cyber Command should also be split from the National Security Agency.
Friday morning, the White House announced in a statement that the President ordered the elevation of Cyber Command to a unified combatant command. The full statement can be found below.
The Government Accountability Office last week published a report that, among other things, weighs in on the pros and cons of the NSA/CYBERCOM “dual-hat” system (pursuant to which the director of the NSA/CSS and commander of CYBERCOM are the same person). The report deserves attention but also some criticism and context. Here’s a bit of all three.
1. What is the “dual-hat” issue?