FEDERALhearing transcript

High Impact

Senate Hearing on Department of Defense Cyber Readiness

Original title: JOINT HEARING TO RECEIVE TESTIMONY ON THE CYBER OPERATIONAL READINESS OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE (OPEN SESSION)

January 1, 2020

cybersecurity national security department of defense military readiness cyber warfare

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The Frame

What this does

The hearing addresses the shift in U.S. military cyber policy from a restrictive framework () to a new directive () intended to allow for more agile offensive cyber operations against foreign adversaries.

Who is mentioned in the record

Potentially affected actors named in the source documents. Mention is not a position.

Department of Defense

The department is transitioning to a new policy framework for conducting cyber operations.

U.S. Cyber Command

The command is tasked with implementing new operational authorities granted under NSPM-13.

What changed

Last recorded activity January 1, 2020.

What's next

Next step not available in the current record.

Summary

This document is a transcript of a joint Senate subcommittee hearing held on September 26, 2018, to evaluate the operational readiness of the Department of Defense's cyber forces. The hearing focused on the transition to a new national cyber policy () and the ability of U.S. Cyber Command to conduct operations effectively.

Key Facts

The hearing was held on September 26, 2018, by the Senate Armed Services Subcommittees on Cybersecurity and Personnel.
The Department of Defense replaced Presidential Policy Directive 20 (PPD-20) with National Security Presidential Memorandum 13 (NSPM-13).
NSPM-13 is intended to remove previous restrictions that limited the ability of U.S. Cyber Command to conduct offensive operations outside of active armed conflict.
The Cyber Mission Force achieved 'full operational capability' in May 2018.
U.S. Cyber Command has been elevated to the status of a fully unified command.
The hearing included both an open session and a closed session (SVC-217) to discuss sensitive operational details.

Why It Matters

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main purpose of the new NSPM-13 policy?

It replaces to allow U.S. Cyber Command to act more nimbly and effectively in conducting offensive cyber operations against adversaries.

What does 'full operational capability' mean for the Cyber Mission Force?

It signifies that the force has reached its intended level of staffing, training, and equipment to perform its designated cyber missions.

News Coverage

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Discoveries

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift100% confidence

Transition from PPD-20 to NSPM-13

The document explicitly marks the transition from a restrictive cyber policy (PPD-20) to a more permissive one (NSPM-13) to facilitate offensive operations.

Department of Defense U.S. Cyber Command

Connected Entities

personDennis A. Crall“Brigadier General, Principal Deputy Cyber Advisor”Map →

organizationDepartment of Defense“Subject of the cyber readiness hearing”Map →

personStephen G. Fogarty“Lieutenant General, Commander, U.S. Army Cyber Command”Map →

organizationU.S. Cyber Command“Primary military entity responsible for cyber operations”Map →

personThom Tillis“Chairman of the Subcommittee on Personnel”Map →

personEssye B. Miller“Principal Deputy, DoD Chief Information Officer”Map →

personVincent R. Stewart“Lieutenant General, Deputy Commander, U.S. Cyber Command”Map →

personMike Rounds“Chairman of the Subcommittee on Cybersecurity”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.govinfo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance80
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy40
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment20
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

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