Senator Rosen Questions DoD Official on Cyber Command Policy Obstacles

Policy Obstacles in Deterring Cyber Threats

• 💡 Senator Rosen highlighted policy challenges within the Department of Defense and across agencies that impede progress in developing cyber capabilities.
• 🎯 Lieutenant General William Hartman acknowledged these challenges but noted significant progress, particularly in supporting critical infrastructure off DoD networks.
• 🔑 The use of federal labs authority and cooperative research agreements (CRAs) has been effective, with six CRAs executed in Guam reducing threats to critical infrastructure organizations by approximately 25%.

Enhancing Critical Infrastructure Defense

• 🚀 Efforts are underway to better integrate the reserve component into operations to secure critical infrastructure, requiring improvements in both policy and appropriations.
• 🤝 Partnerships with organizations like the Department of Homeland Security and the National Guard Bureau are crucial, with specific mention of a beneficial memorandum of understanding with the United States Coast Guard.
• ⚓ The Coast Guard partnership allows for support where they have authority but lack capacity, particularly for the security of port facilities and critical infrastructure supporting them.

Cyber Workforce Challenges and Solutions

• 🧠 Maintaining a robust cyber workforce is essential for defense posture, requiring continuous training and adaptation to an ever-evolving cyber domain.
• ⏳ The Cyber Excepted Service (CES) has significantly reduced hiring lag time for civilian personnel from over a year to less than six months.
• ⚠️ A current hiring freeze is impacting the ability to bring new hires into the force, despite CyberCom being only slightly over 50% staffed with its civilian force.
• ✅ CyberCom has not been impacted by personnel cuts due to securing an exemption, but rapid talent acquisition remains a priority.