Expanding the Department of Defense's Role in Cyber Civil Support
Abstract
The 2010 National Security Strategy identifies cybersecurity as one of the most serious security, public safety, and economic challenges faced by the United States today. The Nation's information and communications infrastructure, inextricably linked to U.S. economic prosperity, social well-being, and innovation, is not secure and poses a serious national security risk. Preventing cyber attacks against America's critical infrastructures and reducing vulnerability to cyber attacks are extraordinary challenges requiring a concerted national effort among the federal government, state and local government, and the private sector. Although tasked in a supporting role, the Department of Defense (DoD) can and should do more to help protect the Nation's critical infrastructure against cyber threats. The thesis of this paper is that the Department of Defense, beyond its current role, should leverage the unique organization, skills, and demographics of the Reserve Component to assist civil authorities in securing and defending the national critical infrastructure against a major cyber attack. The research will establish the significance of the cyberspace threat and examine existing strategy, policy, roles, and responsibilities to assess gaps and shortfalls in the DoD's capability to support civil authorities in protecting the Nation's critical infrastructure. Finally, the research provides recommendations on how the Reserve Component, in particular the National Guard, can best be used to accomplish the expanded critical infrastructure civil support mission.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 17, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA545641
Entities
People
- Kevin M. Donovan
Organizations
- National Defense University