The
Pentagon has formally established the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Cyber Policy. In a press release issued on March 29, the Department of Defense (DoD) explained that the office was established under the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act. Ashley Manning, who has worked for the Pentagon for over 15 years, will be the acting head of the office until a Senate-confirmed candidate is appointed. “In standing up this office, the Department is giving cyber the focus and attention that
Congress intended,” said Acting Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Sasha Baker in a statement on Friday. The newly established office was launched on March 20. The assistant secretary will sit beneath the undersecretary of defense for policy, according to the Pentagon. The official will be “responsible for overall supervision of DoD policy for cyber operations” and will act “as principal advisor to the Secretary of Defense on
MILITARY cyber forces and activities.” The Pentagon listed many responsibilities of the new offices, including developing, coordinating, assessing, and overseeing the implementation of DoD cyberspace policy and strategy. The new office will also “lead the DoD implementation of national-level cyberspace policies” and oversee and certify the DoD’s cyberspace operations budget. “The PRC in particular sees superiority in cyberspace as core to its theories of victory and represents the Department’s pacing challenge in cyberspace,” the strategy read. “Using cyber means, the PRC has engaged in prolonged campaigns of espionage, theft, and compromise against key defense networks and broader U.S. critical infrastructure, especially the Defense Industrial Base (DIB).” The guidelines were mandated by the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022 (CIRCIA), which President Biden signed into law in 2022. Four members of the House Homeland Security Committee released statements in response to the CISA’s draft proposal, including chairman Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.) and ranking member Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.). “Amid increased cyber threats, implementation of CIRCIA is more important than ever to ensure a streamlined process for critical infrastructure owners and operators to mitigate risk and protect our national security,
economy, and way of life.”