Election-defending Cyber National Mission Force elevated by Pentagon (Defense News)

Election-defending Cyber National Mission Force elevated by Pentagon – By Colin Demarest (Defense News) / Dec 20, 2022

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Defense Department formally raised the status of a critical, but clandestine cyber force, a move that underlines the military’s evolving role in the digital domain.

U.S. Cyber Command boss Gen. Paul Nakasone on Dec. 19 officiated a ceremony establishing the Cyber National Mission Force, or CNMF, as a subordinate unified command.

The move cements the force as a permanent entity, with CYBERCOM serving as its parent. The upgrade also reflects the success of the CNMF, activated in 2014, in its roles as an election defender, foreign hacker hunter and rapid responder, according to Maj. Gen. William Hartman, its commander.

“What this designation is really about is the maturity of the Cyber National Mission Force as a forward-looking organization to defend the nation,” Hartman said in a statement Monday. “It’s about building a sustained readiness model that enables us to stay in a fight.”

CONTINUE > https://www.defensenews.com/cyber/2022/12/20/election-defending-cyber-national-mission-force-elevated-by-pentagon/