Features

June 1, 2010  

Not enough chiefs

To the Pentagon for making the job of leading the new Cyber Command an adjunct to heading the National Security Agency. Gen. Keith Alexander has the skills and the expertise for either job. But having a single chief running both organizations raises problems. First, it implies that the cyber role is not important enough for a full-time chief. Second, it raises the question of whether the command was created to militarize cyberspace, even though Alexander denies this. Third, there’s the legal gray area that this type of policy/military double-hat position crosses. Cybersecurity is a growing threat while traditional terrorism remains a constant, 24/7 threat to U.S. national security. The chief overseeing each vital mission should be dedicated to a single duty, not juggling the two.