Category Archives: U.S. Cyber Command

Former DIA official allegedly sold secrets to China, including possible Cyber Command information

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A former Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) official was caught providing secret military documents to the Chinese government, including what appears to be sensitive information about the locations of U.S. Cyber Command outposts and personnel, according to a newly unsealed Justice Department indictment. The case reveals an increasingly obvious counterintelligence battle between the U.S. and China as the two countries are spending billions on developing advanced cyberwarfare units. The arrest of Ron Rockwell Hansen, a 20-year Army veteran, marks the third publicly visible case in the last year of an American passing secretive documents to Chinese government-linked agents. Former Central Intelligence Agency case officer Jerry Chun Shing Lee was arrested in January for allegedly tipping off Chinese spies to the CIA’s human network inside the authoritarian regime. No longer employed by the government but still familiar with the U.S. intelligence community, Hansen possessed top-secret security clearances for both his civilian and active-duty work. He […]

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House defense bill would usher in cybersecurity changes at DOD

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The House of Representatives this week overwhelmingly passed a defense policy bill with several cybersecurity measures aimed at better securing Pentagon networks. The legislation — the fiscal 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) — seeks closer collaboration between the departments of Defense and Homeland Security in defending against hackers, asks for quick notification of data breaches of military personnel, and continues to crack down on foreign-made telecom products that are deemed security threats. The NDAA is an annual ritual that lawmakers use to shape Pentagon policies and budget plans while throwing in some pet projects to boot. The House bill — a $717 billion behemoth — eventually will be merged with the Senate’s version, which that chamber’s Armed Services Committee also approved this week. It’s unclear when the Senate bill will have floor votes. One key provision of the House bill, according to the Rules Committee print, would set up a pilot program for […]

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The NSA now officially has a new chief

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Gen. Paul Nakasone, an experienced military leader with a unique background in cyber-operations and intelligence gathering, has been approved to take over the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command. The Senate confirmed Nakasone, who currently leads Army Cyber Command, by voice vote Tuesday morning. The promotion was expected for months and faced little opposition, but like most things in the Senate, it took some time to schedule. President Donald Trump nominated Nakasone for the job on Feb. 13. The previous NSA chief, Adm. Michael Rogers, is expected to officially retire soon after having served for four years at the top of the spy agency. During his tenure, the NSA attempted a massive reorganization effort known as “NSA21,” which combined certain components of the NSA’s defensive and offensive cyber teams for the first time. The current hierarchy, approved by Congress, prescribes that the leader of NSA is also simultaneously the head of U.S. Cyber Command, a still-nascent cyberwarfare […]

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Enemies of U.S. continue cyberattacks without fear of reprisal, NSA director nominee says

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Russia and China continue to hack into U.S. companies and government agencies because they aren’t afraid of a potential response, senior U.S. officials say. The Army general expected to be confirmed as the next head of the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command told senators at a congressional hearing on Thursday that he doesn’t believe U.S. adversaries in cyberspace fear any repercussions for conducting hacking campaigns and cyber-espionage. Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone’s bleak assessment at at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing comes two days after the the same committee grilled the outgoing Adm. Mike Rogers, who Nakasone would replace, for indicating that the U.S. does not have offensive plans in motion to retaliate against cyberattacks. Responding to a line of questioning from Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska., who called the U.S. “the cyber punching bag of the world”, Nakasone said that countries known to target the U.S. in cyberattacks are not deterred […]

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Enemies of U.S. continue cyberattacks without fear of reprisal, NSA director nominee says

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Russia and China continue to hack into U.S. companies and government agencies because they aren’t afraid of a potential response, senior U.S. officials say. The Army general expected to be confirmed as the next head of the NSA and U.S. Cyber Command told senators at a congressional hearing on Thursday that he doesn’t believe U.S. adversaries in cyberspace fear any repercussions for conducting hacking campaigns and cyber-espionage. Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone’s bleak assessment at at a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing comes two days after the the same committee grilled the outgoing Adm. Mike Rogers, who Nakasone would replace, for indicating that the U.S. does not have offensive plans in motion to retaliate against cyberattacks. Responding to a line of questioning from Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska., who called the U.S. “the cyber punching bag of the world”, Nakasone said that countries known to target the U.S. in cyberattacks are not deterred […]

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Norton takes over Pentagon’s network defense headquarters and DISA

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On the same day U.S. Cyber Command’s network defense headquarters became fully operational, Navy Vice Adm. Nancy A. Norton assumed command of the Joint Force Headquarters – Department of Defense Information Network (JFHQ-DODIN) and became director of of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) on Thursday. Lt. Gen. Alan Lynn retired this week as director of DISA. Norton’s command began at a ceremony Fort Meade in Maryland, the home of U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency and DISA among other agencies. “I look at this audience and I think to myself, ‘Man, if you are doing anything in [information technology], networks, cyber … you are here today,” Adm. Mike Rogers, director of the NSA and Cyber Command, said at the opening of the ceremony. Norton reports directly to Rogers. Rogers will retire this spring after a tumultuous four year command. Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone, currently the head of U.S. Army Cyber Command, is expected to […]

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Pentagon’s network defense headquarters is fully operational

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U.S. Cyber Command’s network defense headquarters is fully operational, the Department of Defense announced on Wednesday. Joint Force Headquarters Department of Defense Information Network (also known as JFHQ-DoDIN) has been building since 2014 when it aimed to have around 219 staff for full operations. It now defends about 15,000 networks with 3 million users. The organization is meant to command and control Pentagon network operations worldwide. If that sounds like a massively broad mission, here are two slides from a Pentagon presentation defining the organization: JFHQ-DoDIN reached initial operating capacity in January 2015 when it gained authority over the 39 military organizations it works with, including all combatant commands, all defense agencies and field activities as well as service cyber components. In November, the U.S. Army and Navy announced their Cyber Mission Force teams were fully operational a year ahead of the deadline imposed by the Pentagon. The rest of the teams, totaling 133, are […]

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Pentagon’s network defense headquarters is fully operational

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U.S. Cyber Command’s network defense headquarters is fully operational, the Department of Defense announced on Wednesday. Joint Force Headquarters Department of Defense Information Network (also known as JFHQ-DoDIN) has been building since 2014 when it aimed to have around 219 staff for full operations. It now defends about 15,000 networks with 3 million users. The organization is meant to command and control Pentagon network operations worldwide. If that sounds like a massively broad mission, here are two slides from a Pentagon presentation defining the organization: JFHQ-DoDIN reached initial operating capacity in January 2015 when it gained authority over the 39 military organizations it works with, including all combatant commands, all defense agencies and field activities as well as service cyber components. In November, the U.S. Army and Navy announced their Cyber Mission Force teams were fully operational a year ahead of the deadline imposed by the Pentagon. The rest of the teams, totaling 133, are […]

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U.S. Army and Navy Cyber Mission Force teams declared fully operational a year ahead of schedule

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The U.S. Army and Navy say their Cyber Mission Force teams are fully operational a full year ahead of the deadline imposed by the Pentagon. The Army’s 41 teams and the Navy’s 40 will perform offensive and defensive missions, including combat support missions and defense of critical infrastructure. They report to U.S. Cyber Command, which validated the Army’s teams on Sept. 28 and Navy’s teams on Oct. 6, officials said Thursday. “Reaching [full operational capability] at this point in the development of the Navy’s CMF teams is a testament to the extraordinary hard work invested in manning our teams and training our personnel,” Navy Vice Adm. Michael Gilday, commander of U.S. Fleet Cyber Command, said in a statement. “Although reaching this milestone is a great accomplishment, the true challenge will be sustaining readiness and the prompt ability to ‘answer all bells’ when directed by U.S. Cyber Command.” The Navy’s force means 1,800 […]

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Cyber Command lacks authorities, capabilities, Pentagon watchdog says

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U.S. Cyber Command lacks the authorities it needs to manage personnel, set standards for training and ensure its Cyber Mission Force teams are properly equipped for combat, according to a Department of Defense watchdog. A classified November 2015 report by the Pentagon inspector general assessed whether the CMF teams “had adequate facilities, equipment and capabilities to effectively perform missions.” A heavily redacted version was released to CyberScoop this week as the result of a Freedom of Information Act request. Although the report is almost two years old, many of the problems it describes persist, according to former military officials who spoke to CyberScoop on condition they not be identified or quoted, owing to the classified nature of the issues. The Trump administration’s plan to elevate U.S. Cyber Command to full-fledged Unified Combatant Command status — and other changes proposed and in some cases implemented since the report was issued — will help […]

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