US Military To Create Separate Unified Cyber Warfare Command (securityweek.com)

wiredmikey quotes a report from SecurityWeek: President Donald Trump has ordered the U.S. military to elevate its cyber warfare operations to a separate command, signaling a new strategic emphasis on electronic and online offensive and defensive operations. "I have directed that United States Cyber Command be elevated to the status of a Unified Combatant Command focused on cyberspace operations," Trump said in a statement Friday. The move would expand the number of the Defense Department's unified combatant commands to 10, putting cyber warfare on an equal footing with the Strategic Command, the Special Operations Command, and regional commands. Until now cyber warfare operations have been run under the umbrella of the National Security Agency, the country's main electronic spying agency, with Admiral Michael Rogers heading both.

Comments

Combat action?

[Pikoro]

So if you get a papercut or spit coffee on your keyboard, do you get a purple heart?

Re:Combat action?

[sheramil]

You get a purple heart the first time someone hacks your email account. still:

"separate"

"unified"

whatever.

Re:Combat action?

[AHuxley]

Getting on the office tour medal list is hard work.
The stress of a second shift and the air conditioning fails.
A medal for been able to drive to work and plan to arrive at work on time for every mission over a year.
Keeping the uniform presentable well into the second shift.
Unexpected use of public transport to get to work and still arrived on time for the mission.
Fixed the printer under stressful conditions.
Was able to adapt to all the older office equipment and showed leadership in working all the office equipment.
Got the floppy drive replaced.
Worked well with contractors and the military of other nations. Hearts and minds.
Learned how to use the photocopier and suffered from its harsh bright light. Kept the photocopier working for days so others could get mission critical documents.

Irrelevant

[Gravis Zero]

As long as you keep insisting of shitty pay and have hard-ass requirements (strict drug screening and physical requirements) then you are going to continue getting people that just aren't that great. On top of that having to take orders from some asshole or face prison time isn't appealing in the least.

The problem here is that they are trying to fight a war of creativity using the most creativity stifling environment.

Re:Irrelevant

[currently_awake]

If this gets the NSA out of the hacking and computer defense line of work it's a great plan. Just having ANYBODY actively defending the US computer networks would be a huge advantage (Ex. Russian hacking, China stealing F35 plans).

Re:Irrelevant

[dbIII]

As long as you keep insisting of shitty pay and have hard-ass requirements (strict drug screening and physical requirements) then you are going to continue getting people that just aren't that great. On top of that having to take orders from some asshole or face prison time isn't appealing in the least.

The problem here is that they are trying to fight a war of creativity using the most creativity stifling environment.

It's the way these things seem to be heading everywhere due to increased risk aversion and HR getting too much power in large corporations in grubby office political games.
The company I work for is in a field where explosives get used every now and again, so the shot firers have been drug tested (on the demand of the clients) for years. Then the clients insisted anyone driving vehicles should be tested. Then the guys running out cables. Office staff going to the office buildings near the site have been drug tested. The clients HR weenies have even pushed for office staff in the city far away from the site (and in a different company FFS!) to be tested but thankfully their management have not backed them up on the several times it's been pushed back on - so far.

If it was a tighter market for potential employees then such stupid intrusive shit would be less likely to happen. If it's difficult to replace someone then there is less tolerance for stupid wasteful power games that really have nothing to do with job suitablity in nearly every case.

Re:Irrelevant

[Gravis Zero]

Your argument is sadly dated.. and your inability to meet the requirements of a job listing.. is your fault.

Yes, the people in power felt the same way... and they they got humiliated during a public challenge because of it. https://www.theregister.co.uk/...

Re: Irrelevant

[Anonymous Coward]

True. Great CS student I know mossed 1/4 mile time by 10ths of a second. Turned down. How's the fat monster who hasn't left his moms basement except to get pizza delivery at the front door going to make it. He's the best.

Re:Irrelevant

[avandesande]

This would be the one branch where you would have really good career prospects when you get out.

Re:Irrelevant

[Neuronwelder]

Very well put!

Chain of Command

[PopeRatzo]

Does anybody think the military is still paying any attention to anything Donald Trump says? Even if they support him, they've probably decided by now that he's just a figurehead that will keep the budget money flowing and maybe give them a chance to try out their toys. I seriously doubt they're listening to anything he says. Maybe when he calls the Pentagon they put Trump on speakerphone and laugh their asses off.

I keep thinking about General Kelly's body language the other day when Trump was doing his freestyle rap about how there are some "very nice" neo-Nazis and the General Pershing and pig's blood canard. He looked like he'd rather be in Afghanistan driving a humvee blindfolded in Kabul than being responsible for trying to make the flabby sack of cooked oatmeal that is our POTUS look like some facsimile of a competent human being.

Re:Chain of Command

[avandesande]

He's the commander in chief. It will happen. Obviously you've been reading too much garbage on the internet.

Re:Chain of Command

[PopeRatzo]

He's the commander in chief.

I can hear the generals giggling right now.

I'm pretty sure the General Pershing thing capped it as far as how much the military respects Trump.

Re:Chain of Command

[avandesande]

First of all, this has the stink of something the generals recommended to him all over it.
Second, this kind of stuff is like raw meat for wolves. Think of all the promotions, acquisitions and contracts. They LOVE this kind of shit. The wouldn't care if Ronald McDonald approved it as long as he has the authority.
Third, it doesn't matter if they respect Trump or not. You think it's the first time any of these generals had to work for a douche-bag? It's the military and they are acutely aware of the chain of command, and at the moment he's the one in charge. It's their job to tell him whatever shit he needs to hear to get the stuff they want out of him.
Obviously you don't know the first thing about government.

Re:Chain of Command

[Zontar The Mindless]

Obviously you don't know the first thing about government.

That's not a problem. *Trump* not knowing the first thing about government... Now there's a problem.

Re:Chain of Command

[gtall]

No. This idea has been kicking around NSA (its chief and former chief support it), the Pentagon, and Congress. It would have happened sooner but they couldn't line up their ducks properly since it is a large mission and you cannot just throw together the internal bureaucracy to handle it over night. It first started to surface during the Obama Administration.

el Presidente Tweetie announcing it now rather than the Pentagon doing it is just another Wookie defense of his administration..."uh-oh, damn, they caught us out...look at that Wookie over there."

Re:Chain of Command

[PopeRatzo]

It's the military and they are acutely aware of the chain of command, and at the moment he's the one in charge. It's their job to tell him whatever shit he needs to hear to get the stuff they want out of him.

That's my point, and it sounds like we agree. Trump is only nominally "commander-in-chief" of the military. They're using him to get what they want.

I don't believe that there's a single general in the military, active or retired, that has any respect for Donald Trump. For the most part, he's their useful idiot.

Re:Chain of Command

[avandesande]

What was your point then? The subordinates hate the boss and think he's dumb? It happens all over the place.

Re:Chain of Command

[PopeRatzo]

What was your point then? The subordinates hate the boss and think he's dumb?

Yes, that was exactly my point.

Re:Chain of Command

[avandesande]

Well keep patting yourself on the back about what a big dummy Trump is, even if it doesn't change anything.

Re:Chain of Command

[PopeRatzo]

You respect the office, not the man.

At this point, I doubt the military respects either one. Even people who support the president don't really respect him any more.

The president is the commander in chief. According to the chain of command, his orders will be passed down, and followed.

I don't think anyone, especially the military, expects Donald Trump to be able to give anything like a coherent order. You can't follow an order if it's gibberish.

Meanwhile, the solution goes ignored

[ka9dgx]

Capability based security could render all this stuff moot. Operating systems that trust everything the applications do are inherently insecure.

Re:Meanwhile, the solution goes ignored

[AHuxley]

Re Capability based security could render all this stuff moot.
Other nations just use decades of well placed human spies in and around all mil sites.
Their computer is a fancy wrist watch to keep appointments with overworked US cyber staff who need a new friend to talk to.
Hours of talk about their long stressful day doing covert cyber warfare.
A new understanding best friend who always listens.
The more new workers get rushed into new ranks the more new spies get to join up. Decades later they have moved up in rank or are contractors selling services back to the US mil.
New faces around any base who are so friendly.

Southpark

[rfengr]

Why do I envision the WoW guy from Southpark; cyber warrior.