The US Air Force (USAF) has established a new task force to safeguard computer networks and improve cybersecurity across the service and the organisations it supports.
The unit is called Task Force Cyber Secure. It will begin synchronising and coordinating efforts for securing and mitigating operational risk to the most critical nodes and ‘centres of gravity.’
US Air Force chief of staff (CSAF) general Mark Welsh said: "This task force is fundamental to understanding the inherent risks within the cyberspace domain and instituting a culture change, in which our airmen realise the impact cybesecurity has on all the air force core missions."
Air force office of the secretary, chief of information dominance and chief information officer lieutenant general Bill Bender said: "The task force will diagnose the extent of the cyber threat and the vulnerabilities that currently impact our core missions and will plan to develop a risk management plan that will allow the air force to fly, fight and win in a cyber-contested environment.
"Finally, the task force will recommend investment priorities to the SECAF and CSAF for how best to address the cybersecurity challenges."
The task force is led by Cyberspace Operations and Warfighting Integration acting director Pete Kim. It will provide a governance plan for air force corporate board management and synchronisation of cybersecurity investments of the future in the planning, programming, budgeting and execution process.
In addition, the unit will integrate multiple efforts and studies with an aim to address cybersecurity across the service, focusing on air force core missions and provide a prioritised cybersecurity investment strategy for Secretary of the air force and CSAF.
The task force efforts are expected to inform air force strategic planning and programming for 2017 and beyond.
