As Cyber Goes, so Goes the Army

At a time when more and more computers are interconnected across the globe and more and more people are trying to exploit their vulnerabilities, the U.S. Army is shifting to meet the cybersecurity challenge. Lt. Gen. Rhett Hernandez, USA, the first commanding general of the U.S. Army Cyber Command, told keynote luncheon attendees at the TechNet Land Forces East conference that his new command is an integral part of the Army's shift to an active defense of the Internet. At the same time, it is also transitioning to a joint information sharing environment within the Defense Department, which will allow the services to more readily exchange important information as needed to support combatant commanders. Echoing a common theme heard throughout the conference, the general said that training is an important element to the work of the Cyber Command. He said that the Army is folding cyber into all levels of training this year so that, as he put it, "we can train as we fight." Mindful of both military and industry attendees in the audience, Gen. Hernandez said that it is essential that an agile acquisition process be developed to enable the Army to respond quickly to cybersecurity needs. Gen. Hernandez also said the Army is building strong relationships with the armies of other nations in the realm of cooperation in cybersecurity.