United States Cyber Command set for expanded role
Outgoing US president Barack Obama is set to hand an expanded role to Cyber Command, the Department of Defense division which carries responsibilities for cyberspace activities and protection of military networks.
This will see the department operate under a unified command for the first time to better respond to cyber-attacks and ramp up offensive operations of its own – such as launching digital assaults against the Islamic State.
As part of this reorganisation Cyber Command will be hived off from the National Security Agency, with which it currently shares a director, a split which will allow it to focus on the active defence and offense programmes, clearing the way for the NSA to focus on intelligence gathering.
If approved by the Pentagon this will see Cyber Command elevated to become a Unified Combat Command to join the nine existing departments operated by the US government. These are Africa, Central, European, Northern, Pacific, Southern, Special Operations, Strategic and Transportation.