U.S. DoD’s cybersecurity force to increase fivefold

The Pentagon is poised to start searching for more than 4,000 new employees for the Defense Department’s Cyber Command, in a bid to boost its cyber defensive and offensive capabilities.

The news, shared with The Washington Post by department officials that wished to remain anonymous, is expected to be announced soon.

The new personnel, consisting of both civilians and army troops, will be trained and added to one of the three types of forces led by the Cyber Command:

• National mission forces – tasked with protecting computer systems of electrical grids, power plants and other infrastructure deemed critical to national and economic security
• Combat mission forces – charged with helping commanders abroad with offensive strategies and operations
• Cyber protection forces – focused on hardening the Department of Defense’s own systems and networks.

Difficulties with recruiting and training individuals for joining the new, expanded Cyber Command are to be expected, as there is a constant shortage of capable and experienced cyber experts ready to join the government’s efforts.

It is also expected that some of the new personnel will be recruited from NSA ranks, as has been the case time and again.

The decision to expand the Cyber Command comes at a time when all the military’s services are forced to do some considerable expense cutting, which only goes to show how serious the threat of cyber attacks against the U.S. is considered.