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Cyber defence is increasingly a matter for government intervention, not just one that can be batted away with regulations and policing, one expert has said.
A quiet shift in how the United States Department of War readies itself to respond to cyber attacks took place late last month, and the new model may be one suitable for several other countries, including Australia.
On 28 May, the Joint Force Headquarters-Department of Defense Information Network (JFHQ-DODIN) was elevated to a sub-unified command under US Cyber Command. As part of that move, the JFHQ-DODIN also picked up a new moniker: Department of Defense Cyber Defense Command, or the rather catchy acronym DCDC.
“The elevation of DCDC to a subordinate unified command is a recognition of the vital importance of our mission to lead unified action in the security, operations and defence of the DODIN, one of DOD’s most critical strategic assets,” the DCDC said at the time.
“It is about increasing readiness and resiliency of the DODIN and those forces who conduct network operations, security and defence activities in the face of the rapid pace of technological advances and the increasing abilities of cyber adversaries.”
General Paul Stanton, who will lead the DCDC alongside directing the Defense Information Systems Agency, told Breaking Defense the move provides the “ability to rapidly incorporate diverse intelligence to find and fix the enemy and allow a seamless transition to offensive cyber operations”.
Gary Barlet, public sector chief technology officer at cyber security firm Illumio, said the shift would likely be repeated by other governments, particularly Australia’s.
“While this is a US-specific initiative, the underlying shift is not. For governments in markets like the UK, Australia, and others, this is likely to reinforce a similar trajectory, where cyber defence is increasingly treated as a matter of national security, not just regulation or law enforcement,” Barlet told Defence Connect sister brand Cyber Daily.
“In practice, that could mean a stronger role for government in coordinating the defence of critical infrastructure, clearer expectations for public–private collaboration, and greater focus on limiting the impact of breaches, not just preventing them.
“The specifics will vary by country, but the direction is consistent: national resilience will depend on how effectively governments and industry can work together to contain and manage cyber threats.”
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