Thursday, December 1, 2011

U.S. Cyber Command Practices Defense In Mock Attack

The military command in charge of U.S. cyber-warfare activities has successfully completed its first major exercise in its mission to protect the Department of Defense (DOD) from cyber attacks.

The U.S. Cyber Command performed the exercise, called Cyber Flag, over a week's time at the Air Force Red Flag Facility at Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, and through a virtual environment pulled in participants from other locations, according to a press statement.

The Cyber Command, part of the U.S. Strategic Command, went into action last September specifically to protect DOD networks and oversee federal cyber warfare activities. It's based in Ft. Meade, Md., and led by National Security Agency Director Gen. Keith Alexander.

Establishing the Cyber Command was one of the Obama administration's many efforts to shore up cyber security and protect U.S. military networks from cyber attacks as well as mitigate the effects of any.