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Based on its learnings from the war in Ukraine, the US Department of Defense (DOD) has unveiled a new cyber security strategy.
The 2023 DOD Cyber Strategy was presented to Congress on 25 May and will replace the 2018 DOD Cyber Security Strategy, building off it with knowledge gained from the conflict in Ukraine.
While the strategy remains classified for now, the DOD has said that the main goal of the new strategy is to better “protect the American people and advance the defence priorities of the United States”, according to a fact sheet released by the department.
In the years following the release of the former 2018 strategy, the DOD has said that it has operated a number of cyber operations as part of its defence, preventing malicious cyber attacks from affecting the US. Further lessons presented themselves following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a war that has proven the potential of a cyber battleground more than any conflict prior.
The US DOD has acknowledged the significance of cyber capabilities, and it plans to further bolster its operations “in support of integrated deterrence”. It has also recognised that utilising its global network of allies and partners is crucial and must be “protected and reinforced”.
In addition, the strategy identifies the most prevalent cyber threats faced by the US, with the People’s Republic of China (PRC) raising the most concern, due to substantial investment in cyber capabilities.
“The PRC has made significant investments in military cyber capabilities and empowered a number of proxy organisations to pursue malicious cyber activities against the United States,” it said.
The DOD labelled Russia an “acute threat” due to its cyber attacks against Ukraine and its people and critical infrastructure, as well as its continuous efforts to slander the US.
North Korea and Iran, as well as extremist organisations, are considered persistent threats.
To deal with the current cyber climate, the DOD has formulated a four-pillar strategy to best defend the US, its people and its interests from cyber threats.
The US DOD has committed to:
The role of implementing the new DOD cyber strategy will fall on the next commander of Cyber Command and the director of the National Security Agency (NSA).
Both roles are currently held by General Paul Nakasone, but they are expected to be passed to Air Force Lieutenant General Timothy Haugh.
Nakasone expects to step down later this year, and Haugh has been nominated by US President Joe Biden.
The US DOD has also committed to continuing its “hunt forward” operations, in which it works to observe and detect malicious activity on the networks of partner nations. Currently, the US has run hunt forward operations in 35 countries, including Ukraine and Latvia.
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