Committee on Armed Services House of Rep

Military Cyber Operations Committee on Armed Services House of Rep

The Department of Defense has spent billions of dollars developing the organizations, capabilities, and personnel needed to operate in cyberspace. Today, we face a diverse and persistent threat in cyberspace from state and non-state actors that cannot be defeated through the efforts of any single organization. Our increasingly wired and interconnected world has brought prosperity and economic gain to the United States. However, our dependence on these systems also leaves us vulnerable, and the cyber threats are increasing and evolving, posing greater risk to the network and systems of the Department of Defense, other departments and agencies, our national critical infrastructure, and other U. S. companies and interests. What is the role of the military to protect civilian infrastructure in the United States against cyber attack? While DOD maintains and uses robust and unique cyber capabilities to defend our networks and the Nation, that alone is not sufficient. Securing our systems and networks is everyone's responsibility, from the commander down to the individual, and this requires a culture of cybersecurity. Preventing cyber attacks of significant consequence against the U. S. homeland requires a whole-of-government and a whole-of-nation approach. To that end, DOD works in close collaboration with other Federal departments, our allies, and the private sector to improve our Nation's cybersecurity posture and to ensure that DOD has the ability to operate in any environment at any time.