The debate continues over the propriety of a single commander directing both the National Security Agency (NSA) and U.S. Cyber Command (CyberCom) in a recently published article by The Washington Post. Here are some of the pros and cons of permitting General Keith Alexander, or his successor, to wear both hats:
PROS
- NSA and CyberCom operate under a single network. Trying to separate the operation of a single network will create splits in leadership and additional decision-making problems.
- CyberCom and NSA must be closely connected because much of what CyberCom was set up to do (defend the nation in cyberspace) depends on intelligence from the NSA.
- Possible implications of separating the two: failure to stop denial-of-service attacks, rerouting a jihadi website, disrupting an industrial control or military weapons system.
CONS
- We are essentially “allowing the same military commander to tell us how bad the problem is and propose and implement suggestions to fix it.” –Jason Healey, director of the Atlantic Council’s Cyber Statecraft Initiative.
- Some believe General Alexander is too quick to respond offensively even when the attack does not cause enough harm to warrant an offensive strike. This leads people to question the power given to one individual running two critical U.S. agencies, as well as General Alexander’s wisdom, generally.
- Keeping the agencies under the same director “blur[s] the lines between a military command and a national spy agency” –Peter Singer, a Brookings Institution expert on evolving modes of warfare.
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