PLN 17

In the article “U.S. Cyber Command Preparations Under Way” By Jordan Reimer, what matters is preparations for the formal establishment of United States Cyber Command are under way. The formal launch of the new organization is awaiting congressional approval of its commander, Air Force Gen. Kevin P. Chilton, the commander of U.S. Strategic Command. In June 2009, Robert M. Gates approved the establishment of cyber command to assume responsibility for operating and defending the Department of Defense’s information networks as a unified sub-division of strategic command. Gates charged U.S. Strategic Command (that’s based at Offutt Air Force Base near Omaha, Neb., and responsible for the United States’ nuclear arsenal and global deterrence, as well as space and information operations) to stand up the new sub-command. Cyber Command will be constituted by joining strategic command’s joint task force for global network operations under the operational control of the joint functional component command for network warfare, which had separated offensive and defensive cyberspace activities. I think that a cyber network for the defense of the US Department of Defense’s networks is a good idea. Because cyber networks are stronger than fire walls and they are constantly monitored to prevent a breach in security. Other countries might take this as a threat to their national security because a cyber network can be used as a cyber weapon. The US and everyone including me will be protected from cyber breach. The Defense Department operates more than 15,000 computer networks across 4,000 military installations in 88 countries. Command and control, military intelligence and logistics, and the development and fielding of weapons technology, all depend on ready access to secure information networks. “Modern armed forces simply cannot conduct high-tempo, effective operations without resilient, reliable information and communication networks and assured access to cyberspace,” Miller said.