What is the Cyber Mission Force?
In 2012, the Joint Staff and U.S. Cyber Command (USCYBERCOM) directed the services to collectively build a Cyber Mission Force (CMF) consisting of 133 Cyber Mission Teams, four Joint Force Headquarters-Cyber, and one Cyber National Mission Force.
The CMF is USCYBERCOM’s action arm, and its teams execute the command’s mission to direct, synchronize and coordinate cyberspace operations in defense of U.S. national interests.
The Army was tasked with standing up 41 of these teams, known as Cyber Protection Teams, Cyber Combat Mission Teams and Combat Support Teams, as well as National Mission Teams and their complementary National Support Teams. The Army’s CMF teams achieved full operational capacity in September 2017, more than a year ahead of schedule, and in May 2018 the Department of Defense announced that all 133 teams CMF teams reached full operational capacity.
The Army's cyber force is a Total Army force. In addition to active forces in the CMF, the Army National Guard and the U.S. Army Reserve are building cyber combat power. The Guard is fielding 11 CPTs, while the Army Reserve is fielding 10 additional CPTs.
What does the Cyber Mission Force do?
Today, networks are a warfighting platform and force multiplier for commanders. The CMF ensures commanders can maintain the freedom to operate in the cyber domain and accomplish their missions via three primary avenues:
- Defensive Cyberspace Operations: Missions intended to preserve the ability to use friendly cyberspace capabilities and protect data, networks, net-centric capabilities and other systems
- Offensive Cyberspace Operations: Missions intended to project power in and through cyberspace through the employment of cyberspace capabilities
- Department of Defense Information Network Operations: Missions and tasks to design, build, configure, secure, operate, maintain and sustain the Army portion of the DoD Information Network (DODIN) and supporting networks
What is the Cyber National Mission Force?
USCYBERCOM's Cyber National Mission Force (CNMF) plans, directs and synchronizes full-spectrum cyberspace operations to deter, disrupt and if necessary, defeat adversary cyber actors to defend the U.S.
National mission force teams are aligned to support the CNMF.
The CNMF is one of three USCYBERCOM forces that would react to a cyber attack on the nation. The other two forces are the Cyber Combat Mission Force assigned to the operational control of individual U.S. combatant commanders, and the Cyber Protection Force that helps operate and defend the DODIN.
SOURCE: https://www.cybercom.mil/Media/News/Article/3206393/cyber-101-cyber-mission-force/
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