Instant visibility said to be essential to fight cyber challenges

By ANTHONY WARE,

December 18, 2014

Instant network visibility will be imperative to combat the cyberspace challenges U.S. Pacific Command will face, said Air Force Lt Gen James McLaughlin, deputy commander, U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM) during a Dec. 10 panel discussion at AFCEA International's TechNet Asia-Pacific 2014.

Speaking to the gathering of defense and government technology professionals, held in Honolulu, Hawaii, McLaughlin explained the crucial role programs such as Joint Regional Security Stacks will play in addressing the increasing specter of cyber attacks. "We don't have weeks to detect threats," he said, according to the SIGNAL online show daily.

CYBERCOM's Cyber Mission Force is establishing its priorities, including defending and initiating teams. Once initial operation capability is achieved the team enters service, but being active and being experienced are different matters, said McLaughlin. "You don't have combat capability just because you have people who have passed their initial training."

Another key component against threats unrestricted by geography will come from the network security oversight provided by the Defense Information Systems Agency, said McLaughlin. The Department of Defense Information Network (DoDIN) concept and Joint Force headquarters DoDIN operations within CYBERCOM, headed by DISA Director Lt Gen Ronnie Hawkins Jr., will offer operations guidance and defense elements across all services, including the Asia-Pacific region.

"Right now the [DoD Information Network, or DoDIN] and Joint Force headquarters concepts are at the Pentagon for consideration by the senior leadership level, and that's going to determine the relationship of DISA with [U.S. Cyber Command] as they stand up the joint force headquarters concept," said Alfred Rivera, DISA acting director of strategic planning and information, in November. "In the meantime DISA, as the major DoDIN service provider, is looking at how to best profile ourselves to be supportive to that joint concept. We're awaiting direction and working on when we think we can reach initial operating capability based on that guidance."