U.S. Cyber Command is learning from a host of challenges including maneuvering through congested information environments to combat adversaries, said Gen. Richard Angle, Cyber Command’s Deputy Commanding General (Operations), at AUSA’s ILW Hot Topics event today.
He spoke today about lessons learned for the command, and how industry can help Cyber Command execute its mission. Lessons learned, the general said, include:
- Understanding that integrating capabilities is a “team sport”;
- Realizing the need to increase leader education at all levels including training and development;
- Developing leadership culture and mindset to leverage capabilities to gain and maintain advantage over adversaries;
- Increasing depth in exercises at all levels to fully exercise synchronization of information environment capabilities;
- Understanding that Authorities to Operate in the environment are “adequate, but in some cases, we hold them at too high of a level, too centralized;” and
- Requiring a greater conversation about risks in the information environment.
“And if we’re going to operate in that environment like we need to, then we as commanders have to be able to underwrite that risk,” Angle said. “We’re going to make mistakes in that environment,” he continued, but still need to continue operations despite mistakes.
In addition to those challenges, Gen. Angle said Cyber Command is also improving its capabilities and performance. He said the command is working on developing and fielding the next generation of electronic warfare systems, and is developing future concepts and strategies.
As far as how industry can help, Angle said the command wants assistance in operating at the “speed of relevance.”
“So finally, for our industry partners, how can you help?” Angle asked. “The first one is help us operate at the scale, the volume, and the velocity that our adversaries do in the information environment,” he said. And he said industry can help to better integrate commercial intelligence with the government’s own intelligence data.
