The Department of Defense (DoD) has officially elevated its primary cyber network defense arm – the Joint Force Headquarters–Department of Defense Information Network (JFHQ-DODIN) – to a sub-unified command, a senior defense official said today.
Effective May 28, JFHQ-DODIN will now be known as the DoD Cyber Defense Command (DCDC).
“DoD’s elevation of JFHQ-DODIN to a sub-unified command recognizes that the bifurcation between offensive and defensive cyber operations is not ideal,” Leslie Beavers, DoD’s principal deputy chief information officer, said during her remarks at the C4ISRNET Conference.
Established in 2015, JFHQ-DODIN was designed to safeguard the Pentagon’s vast and globally dispersed network environment.
The move, directed by Congress in the fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, formalizes its growing role in defending the Pentagon’s global network infrastructure and marks a significant structural change aimed at modernizing and streamlining the military’s cyber defense operations.
According to Beavers, connecting offensive and defensive cyber operations “more closely allows [the DoD] to consolidate and simplify [its] environment to the greatest extent possible and start adopting modern enterprise-level processes for security as well as for operations.”
Beavers explained that rebranding the DCDC also reflects a broader push to strengthen cyber defense amid growing digital threats and aligns with evolving DoD priorities for a more resilient and integrated cyber posture.
“We are doing a very concerted effort,” said Beavers, highlighting how increasing complexity in the digital battlespace places DCDC in a pivotal role in protecting the backbone of U.S. military operations around the world.
While the change does not automatically grant DCDC new authorities or funding, it enables the command to more effectively pursue critical resources, processes, and capabilities necessary to safeguard the DoDIN.