The United States Cyber National Mission Force has stated that its success depends on the ability to defend malicious cyber threats against foreign malicious cyber actors.

Maj.-Gen. William Hartman, Commander of Cyber National Mission Force, at U.S. Cyber Command, said this in a virtual brief titled: “A Look at the U.S. Government Security Cooperation Overseas”, on Friday.

The programme is organised by the U.S. Department of State’s Foreign Press Centres in collaboration with Meridian International Centre.

Hartman said the U.S. mission force proactively pursues foreign adversaries abroad to defend its critical infrastructure.

“We proactively pursue these foreign adversaries abroad to defend our critical infrastructure.

“Our defence industrial base and the Department of Defence information networks work missions from election security to nation-state espionage and are often involved in tackling some of the most significant challenges that our nation faces.

“So, this is a critical aspect of the defence to the military, the nation and about our ability to respond to these threats.

“We understand collective cybersecurity is about trust so we do everything in our power to be the absolute best partner possible,” he said.

Hartman said the mission force operates across the spectrum of cyberspace to execute offensive and defensive information operations to proactively disrupt ongoing threats targeting the U.S.

“Our operations are specific, they’re targeted, and they’re deliberate. They are coordinated actions that align with international norms that work to disrupt malicious cyber actors before they can threaten us or our key partners.

“But something is more and more clear to us every day. It is the same actors that are threatening the U.S. military in its homeland that are threatening so many others around the world.

“We have learnt it is better to work together than alone when these shared threats we face are global, they are in our computers, they are in our systems, they are in our networks.

“The force mission operates across the spectrum of cyberspace, and by that we execute offensive and defensive information operations to proactively disrupt ongoing threats targeting the U.S. and our key allies and partners,” Hartman said.

In her remark, Ms Holly Baroody, Deputy Commander of Cyber National Mission Force, at U.S. Cyber Command, said an excellent cybersecurity posture starts with excellent people.

Baroody said that the increased complexity of U.S. technology and threats required highly skilled individuals with diverse perspectives and creative approaches.

“As a global community, we need more cybersecurity talents in both the public and private sector, and we need to increase the diversity of our workforce.

“This is something that Hartman and I work on every day,” she said.