U.S. Cyber Command (CYBERCOM) has or will be deploying its cyber force approximately 25 times on “hunt forward” missions this year, marking an uptick from 2023 levels and a five-fold increase since 2018.
During the Billington CyberSecurity Summit on Sept. 5, Maj. Gen. Lorna Mahlock, the commander of the Cyber National Mission Force (CNMF) at CYBERCOM, explained that the cyber force deployed on those kinds of missions only about five times in 2018, when the force was created.
Fast forward to today and the CNMF has deployed more than 60 times and conducted operations in 28 countries since 2018. Countries where the cyber force has conducted operations include Lithuania, Albania, Latvia, Canada, and Zambia.
“In 2018 we were deploying maybe 5 times,” the general said. “Last year [2023] we deployed 22 times. This year we see deploying 25 times.”
Hunt-forward missions are aimed at uncovering the tools used by hackers, disrupting adversaries’ cyber operations, and strengthening networks while providing crucial defensive insights for future cyber conflicts. U.S. cyber forces collaborate with network defenders from the host nation, who have invited them to assist.
CNMF hunt-forward missions are not always publicly disclosed, as some nations prefer to keep digital cooperation confidential. These operations are conducted at the invitation of a foreign government.
These defensive hunt-forward cyber operations, according to Mahlock, create a “mosaic of partners” in cybersecurity.
“We’ve seen a growth in the cyber posture of our allied nations,” Mahlock said. “We’re able to provide a clear understanding of cyber capabilities as well as additional structures and models to advance the nation’s cybersecurity maturity.”
She emphasized that these cyber operations enhance the ability of the U.S. to collaborate with global partners and strengthen overall cyber defense.
Mahlock also explained that the CNMF will continue to conduct its cyber hunt-forward operations with both domestic and international partners and look for opportunities to build operational partnerships and programs.
