Gen. Paul Nakasone, who heads both the National Security Agency (NSA) and the U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM), today called for a revamped “CYBERCOM 2.0,” aligning with similar calls from Congress for an independent U.S. Cyber Force.
“I think all options are on the table except status quo,” Nakasone said today at an event hosted by the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA). “We have to have ‘Cyber Force 2.0,’ but we call it Cyber Command, ‘CYBERCOM 2.0.’”
“We built our force in 2012 and 2013. We’ve had tremendous experience, but the scope, scale, sophistication, of the threat has changed,” he added. “The private sector has changed, our partners have changed. I think that we’ve got to be able to take a look at how we’re going to change as well.”
As mandated by the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for fiscal year (FY) 2023, Nakasone said he’s still working with the Department of Defense (DoD) on an independent study that looks at the prospect of a new force generation model for CYBERCOM.
Similarly, Congress included a similar provision in FY2024 NDAA language earlier this year, which called for “an independent assessment of creating a Cyber Force or further evolving the existing force development and management model.”
Currently, each military service is responsible for providing personnel for a set number of teams to the U.S. Cyber Command, which then employs those forces in operations for the other geographic combatant commands.
However, in the conference report filed Thursday for the reconciled version of the FY2024 NDAA, lawmakers noted that they removed the provision that called for “an evaluation regarding the advisability of establishing a separate armed force dedicated to operations in the cyber domain, or refining and further evolving the current organizational approach for U.S. Cyber Command.”
Nevertheless, Nakasone said that whether or not CYBERCOM looks at a new generation model, “that’s a decision that the secretary will make,” but it’s important to provide “a series of options,” to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
Nakasone is expected to retire at the end of this year. President Biden has nominated U.S. Air Force Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh – CYBERCOM’s second-in-command – to take his place as the head of both CYBERCOM and NSA. Haugh’s nomination to head NSA and CYBERCOM remains subject to Senate approval.
