Mattis: Don\u2019t create separate military cyber service | CyberScoop<\/title> <meta name=\"description\" content=\"The former defense secretary said U.S. Cyber Command needs emergency authority to be able to operate inside the United States.\"> <link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/mattis-dont-create-separate-military-cyber-service\/\"> <meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\"> <meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\"> <meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Mattis: Don\u2019t create separate military cyber service\"> <meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The former defense secretary said U.S. Cyber Command needs emergency authority to be able to operate inside the United States.\"> <meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/mattis-dont-create-separate-military-cyber-service\/\"> <meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"CyberScoop\"> <meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2024-05-23T16:43:54+00:00\"> <meta 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single-post postid-80526 single-format-standard\" id=\"readabilityBody\"> <a href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/mattis-dont-create-separate-military-cyber-service\/#main\" class=\"skip-to-content-link visually-hidden-focusable\">Skip to main content<\/a> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-desktop\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <main id=\"main\" role=\"main\" tabindex=\"-1\"> <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--top ad--top-mobile\">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<section id=\"stickybar\" class=\"stickybar stickybar--newsletter js-stickybar\" readability=\"0.82\"> <button class=\"stickybar__close js-stickybar-close\" aria-controls=\"stickybar\"> <svg class=\"icon icon--close\" width=\"21\" height=\"22\" viewBox=\"0 0 21 22\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"m.822.518-.805.805L9.695 11 .017 20.678l.805.805 9.678-9.678 9.677 9.678.806-.805L11.305 11l9.678-9.677-.806-.805-9.677 9.677L.822.518Z\" fill=\"currentColor\" \/><\/svg> <span class=\"visually-hidden\">Close<\/span> <\/button> <\/section>\n<article class=\"single-article content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__container js-single-article-content\">\n<header class=\"single-article__header \" readability=\"24.79748603352\">\n<div class=\"single-article__header-content\" readability=\"29.581081081081\">\n<ul class=\"single-article__eyebrow\">\n<li class=\"single-article__category\"> <a class=\"single-article__category-link\" href=\"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/news\/cybersecurity\/\"> <span>Cybersecurity<\/span> <\/a> <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p> The former defense secretary said U.S. Cyber Command needs emergency authority to be able to operate inside the United States. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__cover-wrap\">\n<figure class=\"single-article__cover\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" fetchpriority=\"high\" width=\"640\" height=\"426\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mattis-dont-create-separate-military-cyber-service.png?resize=640%2C426&ssl=1\" class=\"single-article__cover-image wp-post-image\" alt decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mattis-dont-create-separate-military-cyber-service-1.png 3000w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mattis-dont-create-separate-military-cyber-service-1.png?resize=300,200 300w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mattis-dont-create-separate-military-cyber-service-1.png?resize=768,512 768w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mattis-dont-create-separate-military-cyber-service-1.png?resize=1024,683 1024w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mattis-dont-create-separate-military-cyber-service-1.png?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mattis-dont-create-separate-military-cyber-service-1.png?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mattis-dont-create-separate-military-cyber-service-1.png?resize=600,400 600w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mattis-dont-create-separate-military-cyber-service-1.png?resize=252,168 252w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mattis-dont-create-separate-military-cyber-service-1.png?resize=506,337 506w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mattis-dont-create-separate-military-cyber-service-1.png?resize=1013,675 1013w, https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mattis-dont-create-separate-military-cyber-service-1.png?resize=1265,843 1265w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1013px) 100vw, 1013px\"><figcaption> Former Defense Secretary Jim Mattis speaks at DefenseScoop’s DefenseTalks on May 22, 2024, in Washington, D.C. (Scoop News Group photo) <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"single-article__content\">\n<div class=\"single-article__content-inner has-drop-cap\"> <html readability=\"38.179752066116\"><body readability=\"83.213464696223\"><\/p>\n<p>The United States should not create a separate military cyber service, former Defense Secretary James Mattis said Wednesday, but rather should establish a way for the Pentagon to operate inside the country in the event of a serious cybersecurity incident.<\/p>\n<p>The remarks from Mattis came on the same day that the House Armed Services Committee <a href=\"https:\/\/therecord.media\/cyber-force-amendment-added-fiscal-2025-ndaa\">adopted into the annual defense policy bill<\/a> an amendment ordering a study on the possibility of a U.S. Cyber Force, with its author citing limitations in Cyber Command\u2019s role. A similar provision was excluded from a final deal on last year\u2019s defense authorization law.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCYBERCOM has been an incredibly well-led organization that has made the best of the hand it\u2019s dealt,\u201d Rep. Morgan Luttrell, R-Texas, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/opinion\/2024\/05\/21\/the-time-is-right-for-a-new-military-service-to-defend-cyber-space\/\">wrote in Defense News<\/a> this week. \u201cBut the limitations of the current structure \u2014 with cyber officers and enlisted personnel spread across the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps \u2014 are more apparent and the implications are more dangerous than ever before.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mattis contended in a conversation at DefenseTalks hosted by DefenseScoop that it would be unwise to break out a separate service.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cThe problem with that is if you take good people and bad processes, I\u2019ve learned over many years in the military, bad processes will dominate nine out of 10,\u201d he said. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to relieve your military \u2014 your Navy, your Army, your Air Force \u2014 you do not want to relieve them of the responsibility for protecting their nets and attacking the enemy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Given DOD\u2019s capabilities, it would be better to figure out how to let it operate in cyberspace, Mattis said. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf you look at my job as a secretary of defense, I had 95% of the country\u2019s cyber defense and cyber offense under me, between U.S. Cyber Command and of course, my connection at NSA,\u201d he said. \u201cThe organization charged with protecting inside the country, our infrastructure, the Department of Homeland Security, we\u2019ve got 5% of our defense capability. But the bottom line is, we do not want to set up another entire internal defense, and yet I have no authority to operate inside this country. None whatsoever.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The solution, he suggested, was putting an FBI official in Cyber Command as deputy director, and Congress setting up a special court similar to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court with the ability to work at any time of day.<\/p>\n<p>In a major emergency, such as an attack on hospitals or power or water systems, the court could snap into action, he said.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ad ad--inline_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cBasically, if we find the enemy has penetrated into New York City Power and Light, we could immediately get a warrant, the commander of U.S. Cyber Command would step aside, the deputy commander would take over and bring all of NSA and U.S. Cyber Command together to defend the country,\u201d Mattis said.<\/p>\n<p>The process would also need an inspector general to oversee it, and ample reviews from Congress, which would \u201cdrive Congress crazy with their oversight, but they can do it,\u201d Mattis said. <\/p>\n<p><\/body> <\/p>\n<footer class=\"single-article__footer\">\n<div class=\"author-card\" readability=\"7.7216117216117\">\n<div class=\"author-card__avatar\">\n<figure class=\"author-card__image-wrap\"> <img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"author-card__image\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ddi.mohflo.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/mattis-dont-create-separate-military-cyber-service.jpg?w=640&ssl=1\" alt=\"Tim Starks\"> <\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"author-card__details\" readability=\"10.901098901099\">\n<h4 class=\"author-card__name\">Written by Tim Starks<\/h4>\n<p> Tim Starks is senior reporter at CyberScoop. His previous stops include working at The Washington Post, POLITICO and Congressional Quarterly. An Evansville, Ind. native, he’s covered cybersecurity since 2003. Email Tim here: <a href=\"mailto:tim.starks@cyberscoop.com\">tim.starks@cyberscoop.com<\/a>. <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__tags-container\">\n<h4 class=\"single-article__tags-title\">In This Story<\/h4>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/footer>\n<p> <\/html><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"single-article__ads js-single-article-sidebar\">\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-5 ad--rightrail_1 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-4 ad--rightrail_2 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"ad ad--sidebar js-single-article-sidebar-3 ad--rightrail_3 \">\n<div class=\"ad__inner\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Advertisement<\/span> <\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"popular-stories popular-stories--single-post\">\n<div 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{"id":3721,"date":"2024-05-23T11:43:54","date_gmt":"2024-05-23T16:43:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cyberscoop.com\/?p=80526"},"modified":"2024-05-23T11:43:54","modified_gmt":"2024-05-23T16:43:54","slug":"mattis-dont-create-separate-military-cyber-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ddi.mohflo.net\/index.php\/2024\/05\/23\/mattis-dont-create-separate-military-cyber-service\/","title":{"rendered":"Mattis: Don\u2019t create separate military cyber service"},"content":{"rendered":"