Army Lt. Gen. Paul Nakasone is taking the reins at the National Security Agency and Cyber Command, where he will head the 10th, and newest, combatant command. As the organization takes on greater responsibilities, Nakasone will receive broad authorities as the global coordinator for cyber and trusted computing operations in the Department of Defense and as the joint force trainer for cyber. Here are three key decisions Nakasone will face and that will shape Cyber Command in the long term: does he need to change the cyber warrior force; what new tools does Cyber Command need; and how does he evolve cyber operations? Currently cyber capabilities – namely strategic level effects that require work over fiber across the globe – are supervised at the highest level of government. Nakasone, as head of Army Cyber Command, has overseen several rotations of a pilot program to game how tactical cyber and electronic warfare effects can be integrated into local brigade combat teams.
